Can't Fight It
by EternalFlame0410
Summary: After vowing to herself that she wouldn't let boys become a distraction in her senior year, Caroline meets someone who changes her mind. And he happens to be her teacher. AU/AH.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Hello, readers! After I finished my most recent fic "Tale as Old as Time," I began writing this fic. It's my first AU/AH and I'm so excited! I already have the entire story outlined and it's my longest one so far. Hopefully you'll enjoy reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it :D**

**P.S. I'd like to give a BIG thanks to Eilidh for listening to me talk about this fic for months without getting annoyed and giving me suggestions and just being amazing! And I'd also like to thank Yana for demanding that I post this and being so great that I can't even!  
**

**Enjoy :D  
**

-xxx-

If you asked Caroline Forbes to describe what she imagined her senior year to be like three years ago, she would've said something along the lines of partying, fun, and boys. Now, however, with a barely acceptable GPA and test scores that makes her mother cringe, reality has slapped Caroline in the face and made her realize that she needs to buckle down and get serious about school. That means no more drinking, no more fun, and no more boys.

No more boys.

That had been her hardest rule to follow, but she'd managed so far. Tyler hadn't, though. When she told him she needed to take a break and focus on her studies, he hadn't taken it well.

"_I just need to take a break. It's not—"_

"_It's not you, it's me?" Tyler recited incredulously. "If you're gonna break up with me, just break up with me instead of giving me excuses."_

"_They're not excuses, Tyler," Caroline replied sharply. "I barely made it through junior year! I can't have any more distractions."_

"_Just shut up, Caroline! You were failing your classes because you didn't try, so don't put the blame on me!"_

"_I'm not blaming you! It's not your fault, it's because I didn't have my priorities straightened out. But now I'm focusing on what's important."_

"_So our relationship isn't important to you?" Tyler countered._

_Caroline tolled her eyes. "Of course it is! That's why I'm not 'breaking up' with you, I'm just asking if we can press pause for a while until I get back on track."_

"_That's not how it works, Caroline. You have to decide what you really want."_

_She scoffed. "What I _really _want is to get into college!"_

_Tyler shook his head and held up his hands in surrender. "I'm done. You can do whatever you want, I don't care."_

_Caroline's shoulders slumped. "Come on, Tyler, don't be like that—"_

"_Stop talking," he demanded before turning around and walking away. He stopped mid-stride once he was a few steps away to tell her, "You know, I'm glad we're breaking up. You were an insecure, neurotic, bitchy little twit anyway."  
_

Well, if that's what he thought, then so be it. Not that it mattered, because Caroline didn't need someone like him in her life anyway.

So now here Caroline was, walking into Mystic Falls high school with her two best friends by her side—Elena Gilbert and Bonnie Bennett—and making her way to the first class of the day.

"Does anyone else think this should feel slightly more empowering?" Elena asked.

"We've been dreaming about this day ever since our freshman year, so of course it's not going to live up to our expectations," Bonnie answered.

Caroline, forever being her optimistic self, chimed in. "Well, we don't know that yet. We've still got the entire year ahead of us! Let's _make_ it live up to our expectations." She grinned as they entered their first period classroom and took their seats right next to each other.

Unfortunately, the class was almost completely filled by the time they arrived, so the girls were forced to sit in the front row. Caroline glanced over her shoulder to see who else was in this period, spotting a few familiar faces, including her ex boyfriend Matt Donovan. She smiled and gave him a small wave. Unlike with Tyler, Caroline and Matt were still on friendly terms.

Speaking of the devil, Tyler walked in right at that moment and decided to choose the seat right behind Caroline. He threw her a cocky smirk as he slammed his book on the desk and sat down.

"Hello, Caroline," he greeted her arrogantly.

"Tyler," she replied stiffly, turning around in her chair so she wouldn't have to look at him.

"Come on, don't be like that. We can still be friends."

Caroline let out a sarcastic laugh, her back still facing him. "I made that same offer to you when we broke up, and you told me to go to hell. Sorry, but I think we're past being friends."

Before Tyler could respond, he was cut off by the shrill sound of the bell and the slamming of the door as their teacher kicked it shut and crossed the room, heading toward the chalkboard.

"Hello, class," he said as he wrote _World History_ on the board. Caroline was taken aback by his British cadence. He dropped the writing utensil and turned around, rubbing his hands together to dust off any excess chalk. "I'm Mr. Mikaelson. That's spelled with a 'k,' not a 'c-h.'"

Caroline's jaw fell slack as she took in his appearance. He looked young, probably in his twenties, with baby blue eyes, golden hair, and the right amount of stubble to make him look irresistibly disheveled. She noticed while he was turned around that his jeans were doing him _all kinds_ of favors.

She was pulled out of her reverie when he began speaking again, explaining the rules of the class. She wasn't supposed to be having thoughts like this, he was her _teacher!_ Not to mention, she's sworn off boys this year, so she shouldn't be having thoughts like this about anyone. _Especially_ her teacher.

Caroline's phone buzzed in her pocket and she discreetly pulled it out. It was a message from Elena.

_It should be a crime to be that good looking_, it read.

Caroline smiled to herself.

_Don't tell me you're crushing on the teacher_.

A second later, her phone buzzed again.

_By the way you're looking at him, YOU obviously are._

Caroline glanced over in Elena's direction and saw her friend grinning at her. With a quiet laugh and the shake of her head, she replied:

_Okay, I'll admit it. His accent did me in_, she teased. But of course she wasn't _actually_ crushing on him. She was just joking around with her friend.

She hit send and when she lifted her head to pay attention, she saw Mr. Mikaelson standing over her with his arms crossed and a disapproving frown on his face.

"Don't tell me you're texting in class when I _just_ finished explaining that it was against the rules," he said.

Caroline blushed, embarrassed. "Sorry," she muttered.

Mr. Mikaelson sighed and held out a hand. Caroline placed her phone in his open palm without putting up an argument. He dropped it on his desk, obviously annoyed.

"Meet me for detention after school today," he ordered.

Well, Caroline's plan to do better in school may not be going as well as she thought it would, considering her history teacher already hated her.

-xxx-

The rest of the day went by smoothly, and that brightened Caroline's mood significantly. Even as she sat in detention her smile was as bright as ever, a stark contrast from Mr. Mikaelson's dark mood.

"So, do I just sit here...?" Caroline asked, folding her hands in front of her on the desk. Despite her academic issues, she was never someone who had problems with behavior. She never had detention before, but she assumed there was something she should be doing like homework or organizing papers. Instead, she was sitting quietly at her desk while Mr. Mikaelson was focused on paperwork.

"I suppose," he answered her without looking up. "Unless you have homework to do."

Caroline took a deep breath and blew it out loudly. "It's only the first day of school. The only homework I have is filling out forms."

He didn't respond.

"I bet I'm the first person in all your years of teaching to get detention on the first day of school," Caroline teased.

Mr. Mikaelson dropped his pen and leaned back in his chair, giving her his full attention. "Technically you are, since this is only my first year."

"Seriously?"

He nodded.

"I'm making history, then," Caroline said, causing him to chuckle. Her eyes drifted to a photograph he had on his desk. It was of him and a blonde girl sitting on a park bench. His arm was thrown over her shoulders and their smiles were big and bright. "Is that your girlfriend?" Caroline asked.

He knit his eyebrows together, confused. His eyes followed Caroline's to see the photo she was referring to, laughing when he saw what it was. "That's my sister Rebekah."

Caroline's face lit up when she recognized who she was. "Oh, right! She's in my chemistry class." Then, a second later, she added, "So...do you _have_ a girlfriend?" She noticed that he wasn't wearing a wedding ring, so he wasn't married. Not that she cared.

Mr. Mikaelson smirked at her. "Why are you so interested in my personal life, Ms. Forbes?"

Caroline shrugged. "I don't know," she answered, and she truly didn't know. Why _did_ she find him so interesting?

He studied her for a moment before deciding to answer her question. "No, I'm not dating anyone."

She gave him an incredulous look. "I find that hard to believe."

"I'm not one for relationships," he explained, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. The girl was so nosy, but it didn't annoy him as it should've. In fact, he found it quite endearing.

"Why not?" she asked.

"None of them ever work out. They're all a waste of time."

Caroline frowned. _That's depressing_, she thought. "Well maybe you just haven't found the right girl."

Subconsciously she was aware that this entire conversation was beyond inappropriate to be having with her teacher, but that fact had been easy to ignore when she was talking with him. But once their eyes locked and she saw him looking at her as if she were the most peculiar yet captivating creature he had ever seen, she realized that maybe she had crossed a line with the whole relationship thing.

Caroline avoided his gaze by staring at his desk, spotting her phone just as it buzzed. Mr. Mikaelson rolled his eyes, the moment they had shared earlier completely vanished. "Your friends are incessant. Here." He tossed her the cell phone which Caroline caught effortlessly. The text was from Bonnie.

_Are you still coming to the bonfire tonight?_

Caroline sighed.

_No idea. I'm stuck in detention._

She hit send and set her phone down before lowering her head and resting her chin on her hands.

"Is something wrong?" Mr. Mikaelson asked.

"What time do I get out of here? I don't want to miss the back-to-school bonfire at the falls."

Mr. Mikaelson appraised her for a moment. Normally he wouldn't let her leave, but he liked her. She was entertaining and she had spirit. And it was only the first day. Maybe he had been a little harsh by giving her detention.

So he let her go. "Well, I wouldn't want you to miss it." He gestured toward the door.

Caroline sat up straight, a slow smile spreading across her face. "Really?"

"Go ahead."

Caroline hopped up and grabbed her bag, making her way to the door while mumbling her thanks. Before she could leave, however, Mr. Mikaelson's voice stopped her.

"Caroline?"

She turned around to face him. "Yeah?"

"You might want to turn off your phone before handing it over next time, for my ego's sake." He smirked at her.

Caroline's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to respond but closed it again when no words came out. She could only imagine how red her face was right now, thinking about what he was referring to.

_It should be a crime to be that good looking_.

Damn you, Elena!

Without another word, she backed out of the classroom and walked hastily toward the parking lot.

-xxx-

"How was detention with Mr. Mikaelson?" Elena asked, grinning.

She, Caroline, and Bonnie were at the bonfire, sipping at red solo cups filled with cheap beer and watching as their classmates consumed their weight in alcohol. It was nice getting to see everyone after summer break, even if half of them wouldn't remember it the next day.

Caroline blushed, although she wasn't exactly sure why. "He's not that bad. We talked a little..."

"About...?" Bonnie prompted.

"Stuff," she answered vaguely. "Did you know it's only his first year teaching?"

Elena didn't seem surprised. "Well, he did seem kind of young."

"And strict," Bonnie added.

"He's actually not that bad," Caroline defended. "I mean, he _did_ let me leave detention early to come here."

Elena was about to respond, but something over Caroline's shoulder caught her eye. "Who are they?" she asked, pointing.

Caroline turned around to see who she was talking about. There were two people standing by the bonfire talking, and Caroline had seen one of them before. She recognized the blonde-haired blue-eyed girl from the photo on Mr. Mikaelson's desk, but she had never seen the handsome dark-haired boy before.

"I'll go find out," Caroline said, brushing past Bonnie and Elena and making her way over to the two strangers. Both of them stopped talking and faced Caroline as she approached them.

"Hi," Caroline greeted them. "I'm Caroline. Are you new?"

The girl gave her a forced smile, her face illuminated by the warm glow of the bonfire. "Yes, we just moved here. I'm Rebekah, and this is my brother, Kol."

Kol gave Caroline a once over and then beamed at her. "Hello, Caroline," he purred.

Caroline was taken aback by their accents. Did Mystic Falls suddenly turn into the UK? Before she could say anything else, Kol had snatched up her hand and brushed his lips against her knuckles.

"It's really nice meeting you," he said seductively.

Caroline pulled her hand away and chuckled uncomfortably. Maybe Old Caroline would've been interested, but New Caroline had more important things to focus on than an _extremely_ good looking guy with an accent that dripped of—

_Stop_.

_School, college, school, college_, Caroline repeated in her mind.

"Don't mind him," Rebekah said. "He's always like this."

Kol smirked. "And no one told me American women were so—"

"_Kol!_" Rebekah scolded, cutting him off before he could say something offensive or entirely inappropriate.

Kol's eyes widened and he turned to his sister. "I was going to say _beautiful!_"

Caroline threw her head back and laughed. Kol was grinning, but Rebekah was still glaring at him. Caroline decided she liked them. They seemed fun.

After her laughter subsided, Caroline asked, "Where are you from?"

"Wales," Rebekah answered. "But we moved here over the summer."

"That's a big change," Caroline said. "Why Mystic Falls though?"

"Our brother, Elijah, lives here. So does our father, but..." Rebekah trailed off.

"Touchy subject?" Caroline guessed.

Rebekah nodded and Kol rolled his eyes. "You have no idea," he said.

Caroline held up her hands. "I won't pry," she promised with a smile. "I did meet your other brother though. Mr. Mikaelson."

"Oh, you have Nik for world history?" Rebekah asked, an apologetic look on her face. "I'm so sorry, he can be such an ass sometimes."

Caroline shrugged. "He seemed pretty nice to me. We talked some in detention."

Kol snickered. "What did you do to deserve detention on the first day?"

"Texting in class," Caroline replied without any shame.

"That's it?" Kol asked disappointedly. "I was hoping you had done something a little more creative."

"I'll try harder next time," she joked.

The rest of the night was spent carrying on easy conversation with Rebekah and Kol. Eventually Bonnie and Elena wandered over and introduced themselves too. Kol seemed to take a special interest in Bonnie, earning a nudge or two from Caroline and Elena every time he complimented her. She would blush in embarrassment, but hey, what are friends for?

Caroline's heart wasn't in it, however. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Mr. Mikaelson, and for the first time in almost eighteen years, Caroline Forbes was excited to go to school the next day.

-xxx-

**A/N: And it begins! So right now, Caroline's obviously crushing. _Hard. _Also, I chose for the Mikaelsons' birthplace to be Wales because I know that's where JoMo is from. If you have any questions about the Originals' backstory and why they're in Mystic Falls, it should all be answered in the coming chapters! It's pretty complicated. Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! And even if you didn't, well, thanks for giving it a try. Please leave a review telling me what you think! Should I continue? Should I not? Should I just give up writing all together? Feedback keeps me motivated :D**

**Another place to send me your thoughts and/or suggestions is my tumblr: sexwithjomo**

**Much love,**

**Morgan**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow, thank you so much for all the reviews! You guys made my day :') I was blown away by the response to this story! To thank you for your awesome feedback, I uploaded this chapter a little sooner than I was planning. I hope you like it! :D  
**

**Also, in answer to one of the reviews—no, this story is in no way supernatural. It's all human :)  
**

-xxx-

Caroline's excitement turned into unease as she thought about going into first period after detention with Mr. Mikaelson the previous day. Just thinking about seeing him made her want to bury her face in her hands from the horrible embarrassment she was suffering from. She was sure he had already forgotten about the texts from Elena, but she still wanted to disappear every time she thought about facing him.

So Caroline did the only thing she could do. She held her head high and put a smile on her face as she marched into the classroom, taking a seat in her usual spot in front of Tyler.

"How was detention?" he asked, surprisingly without malice.

Caroline sighed. "Fine," she replied without turning around.

"Did you have fun at the bonfire?" he asked politely.

Caroline narrowed her eyes suspiciously and turned in her seat to face him. "Why are you being so nice?" she wondered.

Tyler shrugged, deciding to go with the truth. "I saw you talking to that new girl. Are you guys friends or something? Can you introduce us?"

"Who? Rebekah?"

He nodded.

Caroline laughed out loud. "Do you really think it's a good idea to ask your _ex-girlfriend_ to set you up with someone else?"

Tyler stared at her blankly. "So will you do it?" he asked, avoiding her question.

She rolled her eyes and turned her back to him without answering. She thought it had been pretty clear that she was in no mood to help him, especially after their terrible breakup. And he had the _nerve_ to ask her to set him up with someone else? Not only is that completely stupid, but Caroline could never do that to Rebekah. She wouldn't wish Tyler on anyone.

Caroline was aware of Mr. Mikaelson entering the classroom, but her attention was on what Tyler was saying. Unfortunately, the bell had just rung and everyone was quiet enough to hear him too.

"Don't be mad just because I'm moving on. I'm already over you, Caroline, maybe you should get over yourself too."

Caroline didn't say anything. The classroom was completely silent, which made her embarrassment ten times worse. Her eyes were wide and her hands were balled into fists on her desk as she resisted the urge to turn around and slap Tyler across the face.

Mr. Mikaelson stepped toward him, his face emotionless. "Is there a problem, Mr. Lockwood?"

Tyler didn't take his eyes off the back of Caroline's head as he answered in a sharp tone, "No, sir."

Mr. Mikaelson raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Really? Because by the way you're speaking to Ms. Forbes, I would assume there was an issue."

Tyler tore his eyes away from Caroline to glare at their teacher. "It's none of your business."

Mr. Mikaelson's eyes grew dark, his glare a million times more intimidating than Tyler's. "You will _not_ speak to me like that again. And from now on, you won't speak to Caroline like that either."

Mr. Mikaelson glared at him, letting his words sink in. After a moment, his expression softened and he glanced at Caroline, making sure she was okay before walking to the front of the classroom to begin teaching.

-xxx-

Caroline was still dumbfounded by the time lunch rolled around. Any other teacher would've ignored Tyler's comment and continued the class as if nothing had been said. Mr. Mikaelson, on the other hand, handled the situation completely differently. He defended her the way she expected one of her friends to defend her.

That's the thing about teachers. They're not supposed to be your friend. They're not supposed to let you leave detention early to go to a party. They're not supposed to make easy conversation with you and chat about relationships. They're not supposed to defend your honor in front of the entire class. But Mr. Mikaelson was the exception to all those rules.

Caroline was pulled from her thoughts as she was greeted by Elena and Bonnie after sitting at a wooden picnic table on the school lawn.

"Hey," Elena said with a warm smile.

"Hi," Caroline returned.

Bonnie leaned forward and reached her hand across the table, her expression concerned. "Are you okay?" she asked, obviously referring to the Tyler incident from that morning.

"I'm fine." Caroline didn't want to talk about Tyler. She didn't want to _think_ about Tyler.

Bonnie was about to say something else, but she was cut off by Rebekah, who had just approached their table and was now standing behind the empty spot next to Caroline.

"Hi," she said.

Caroline's face lit up and she gestured for Rebekah to sit down. "Hey!" she greeted her. "Come sit with us!" She was extremely grateful to Rebekah for saving her from having to talk about Tyler, so the least she could do was invite her to have lunch with them.

"Where's Kol?" Bonnie asked, glancing around to see if he was nearby. Caroline and Elena exchanged a glance, snickering at Bonnie's interest in Kol's whereabouts.

"He's around here somewhere," Rebekah answered. "I believe he was headed for history class the last time I saw him. Don't tell him I told you this, but I'm pretty sure he's already failing after only the first day," she smirked.

"Maybe he should switch classes," Elena suggested.

Rebekah sighed. "We can't. The only other history teacher besides Mr. Saltzman is our brother."

Caroline shifted in her seat at the mention of Mr. Mikaelson, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She tried convincing herself it was only because of the embarrassing texts from Elena, but she knew it was because she was remembering their conversation yesterday.

_Geez, Caroline, what has gotten into you?_

"So anyway," Rebekah continued, "What are we going to do about this chemistry project, Caroline?"

Caroline snapped back to reality at the mention of the project they were assigned in chemistry last period. She almost completely forgot that she and Rebekah were partners.

"Um...I don't know," Caroline answered, her mind only halfway in the conversation. The other half strayed to Mr. Mikaelson again. What was it like for Rebekah? Growing up with him, living in the same house as him...?

"You should come over on Saturday so we can work on it," Rebekah suggested.

Now she had Caroline's full attention. "You mean...to your house?" To _Mr. Mikaelson's_ house?

Rebekah nodded, confused about Caroline's weird behavior. "To my house," she clarified.

Caroline thought it over for a second before answering. "Yeah, okay."

This should be interesting.

-xxx-

Klaus was sitting at the kitchen table with a stack of papers when Rebekah came home, setting her schoolbag down and taking a seat next to her brother with a sigh.

"Where's Kol?" Klaus asked, not looking up from what he was working on.

"The local bar and grille," she answered dully, propping her elbow up on the table and resting her face in her hand, looking every bit as bored as she felt. "Is Elijah still at work?"

Klaus nodded. He, Rebekah, and Kol were all living with Elijah for the time being. Their parents lived in Mystic Falls too, but they each preferred staying with their lawyer brother rather than Mikael and Esther. Not that Mikael and Esther would allow them to stay with them anyways.

Klaus hated having to live with his siblings, but it was necessary until he was on his feet and could get an apartment or a house of his own. He had only just moved to Mystic Falls from Wales over the summer, and that could really put a strain on finances.

Klaus stood up and moved into the living room, Rebekah trailing behind him. He went straight for his array of alcoholic beverages, going for the scotch this time instead of the bourbon.

"I'm having a friend over tomorrow to work on a project," Rebekah announced. "You might know her, I think she has you first period."

Klaus raised his eyebrows and took a sip of his drink.

"Her name is Caroline Forbes."

Klaus choked on his scotch. The girl who got detention on the first day of school? The girl who surprised him with her talk of relationships and "finding the right person?" The girl whose dunce of an ex-boyfriend—if that's what he was—embarrassed her in front of the class? _That_ Caroline Forbes?

"Is that a problem?" Rebekah asked.

Klaus shook his head. "No, not at all."

She grinned. "Great. She's the first friend I've made since we moved here, so don't you dare embarrass me."

"Shouldn't you be telling that to Kol?"

Rebekah gave him a warning glare. "Promise me."

Klaus held up his hands in defense. "I promise."

-xxx-

**A/N: This chapter was a little short and the next one is too, so I've decided to do a double update! Expect the next chapter today :D Please review! I won't know if you guys are liking it or if I should continue updating if I don't know what you think. And your feedback motivates me to update faster!**

**Thank you for reading!**

**-Morgan**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Since the last chapter was short and so is this one, here's the double update I promised! Enjoy ;)**

-xxx-

Caroline decided to spend more time getting ready the next day. Her shiny golden hair was a little curlier, her makeup a little smokier, her neckline a little lower. There wasn't a specific reason for it.

_That's a lie._

It's not like there was anyone she wanted to impress.

_That's a lie too._

She was doing this for the hell of it.

_Lie._

Okay, maybe that wasn't the case. Maybe there was someone she wanted to make an impression on. Someone she would _never_ admit to crushing on, although she _was_ crushing on him. Hard.

Caroline sighed. What in the world was she doing?

_It'll pass soon_, she thought. _You just like him because new and he's not Tyler. That's it._

She knew that wasn't the case though. She liked him because he respected her in a way that she'd never been respected before. And the way he looked at her... She had never been looked at like that by Tyler, and Mr. Mikaelson wasn't even _interested._

Whoa, whoa, whoa. No. It's not that _she_ was interested. That's not it at all.

Caroline took a deep breath and took one last look at herself, working to keep her mind off of all the thoughts bouncing around in her head, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't.

-xxx-

Klaus leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk, folding his arms behind his head. Everyone was filing into the room and taking a seat, their tired expressions displaying exactly how he felt. Another day of the same boring routine.

It would get tiring having to wake up at the crack of dawn every day to teach these vapid, simpleminded adolescents the great significance of the world and its history. He was already exhausted and the day hadn't even started. Summoning the amount of patience he needed to teach these insufferable teens would take nothing short of a miracle—

Caroline Forbes chose that moment to make an appearance, with her winning smile and bright, shining eyes and a neckline that was absolutely against the school's dress code, but he wasn't going to call her out on it.

Klaus watched as she took a seat in her usual spot, trying to ignore the desire that burned through him. She was beautiful, but she was a _student_. She was kind and easy to talk to, but she was his sister's _friend_. She was sharp as a tack, but she was _Caroline_.

He dragged a hand across his face and averted his eyes when she glanced in his direction and offered him a friendly smile.

Caroline watched as he avoided her gaze, biting her lip in worry. Had she done something to upset him? Why didn't he return her smile? What had she done wrong?

When the bell rang, he swung his legs off the desk and stood up, grabbing a stack of papers and handing them to her. She glanced up at him and gave him a questioning look, but his expression was unreadable.

"Pass these out, please," he mumbled.

Caroline took the papers out of his hands, shivering slightly when his fingers brushed hers. He was obviously not in a good mood, so she wouldn't push for an answer as to why he was acting so indifferent towards her.

But then again, did she really think she was special? Just because she's friends with his sister and had a nice chat with him in detention? She was still his student, not his friend. Maybe he realized that too and decided not to mix business with his personal life.

_If only our situation were different_, she thought. Or maybe she was just reading into things.

-xxx-

By the time cheerleading practice rolled around, Caroline had gotten her mind off of Klaus and was completely in captain-mode. It was the squad's first practice since school started, and although they had met a few times over the summer, the girls still acted as if it was the first time they'd seen each other in months.

"Hey!" Caroline heard someone call from behind her with a familiar British lilt.

She whirled around and saw Rebekah making her way forward, dressed in her pink work out top and black shorts, looking every bit like she was part of the squad.

"Do you have room for one more?" she asked with a wide smile.

Caroline shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Can you cheer?"

Rebekah gave her a look that said _puh-lease _as she dropped her bag to the ground and distanced herself from the rest of the girls so she wouldn't accidentally kick someone in the face or knock them over (as funny as that would be).

She took a deep breath and backed up, giving herself a running head start before she was just a pink blur with a blonde ponytail. Caroline's mouth hung open as she watched her friend do a series of flips and handsprings until she landed in a perfect split.

Rebekah turned her head to look at Caroline, the corners of her mouth turned up in a knowing smile. There was no way she wouldn't let her on the team.

Caroline raced over to her and held out a hand to help her up. "Oh my God, Rebekah!"

The rest of the girls crowded around them, offering words of praise.

"So, when do I get my uniform?" Rebekah asked.

-xxx-

The rest of practice was spent introducing Rebekah to the squad and catching her up on some of their regular cheers. It was easy finding a spot for her and incorporating her in all their routines. She was a perfect addition to the team.

During their cool-down stretches, Caroline decided to ask her a few questions about Klaus, just out of curiosity.

"So, how's your brother?"

Rebekah narrowed her eyes. "He's fine. Why?"

Caroline shrugged. "I don't know, he just seemed kind of...distant."

"He's been acting strange lately, but I assume that's because he's not quite used to Mystic Falls yet."

"Are you sure that's it? Because he seems more different today than he was in the beginning."

"I'm sure he's fine. Why are you so concerned?"

"Well, he _is_ my teacher."

Rebekah smirked. "And you're worried that if something's upsetting him, he'll take it out on the class?"

"Um...yeah, that's it," Caroline lied.

"Don't worry about it. I can talk him out of giving any pop quizzes or assigning too much homework. Ah, speaking of the devil..."

Caroline followed Rebekah's gaze to see what she was staring at. It was Klaus, walking past the field and towards his car. She couldn't help but admire him. She had grown so used to all her teachers being old and unappealing that she welcomed any kind of change, and he _definitely_ wasn't old and unappealing. If she was being completely honest with herself, she found him to be kind of...hot. _Really _hot, actually.

"Caroline?" Rebekah asked.

Caroline snapped back to reality, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry. I kind of zoned out."

"Yeah, seems like it," Rebekah agreed, eyeing her suspiciously. Something was up, and she was going to find out what is was.

-xxx-

**A/N: Like I said, it was a super short chapter, and kind of a filler. Sorry about that! I hope the double update made up for it. **

**So right now, they're both obviously drawn to each other but neither is planning on doing anything about it yet. Sorry about the lack of interaction so far but from the next chapter and on, they'll be spending more and more time together.**

**Thank you so much for reading! Leave me your feedback! What did you think? Love it? Hate it? Not sure how to feel about it? What are your suggestions and/or opinions? Constructive criticism is always welcome. Reviews motivate me to update faster, so tell me what you think in the box below!**

**Much love,**

**Morgan**

**tumblr: sexwithjomo**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! They keep me going! I wouldn't have gotten this far in the story if it weren't for your encouragement! You are all so incredibly amazing and I really don't deserve any of you! *cries*  
**

**I'm taking into consideration everything you guys told me you wanted to see. This whole story is already mapped out, but I'll definitely try to add some of your suggestions!  
**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! There's lots of Klaroline interaction. Things are starting to pick up from here :)**

-xxx-

_Holy crap_.

That was the only coherent thought Caroline could form as she pulled into the driveway of the gigantic Mikaelson manor. Their brother, Elijah, must be one hell of a lawyer. Look at the size of this thing! It looked like a castle!

Caroline stepped out of her car and took a deep breath, trying not to let herself feel intimidated by the enormity of the place. It was fairly early in the morning, but she assumed the household was mostly awake since Rebekah texted her and told her to come on over.

She walked up to the front door and hesitated before knocking three times. Suddenly, she felt nervous about who would answer the door. She hoped it would be Rebekah or Kol because that would be a thousand times less awkward thank if Elijah answered...or heaven forbid _Mr. Mikaelson_.

The door swung open and her breath caught as she was greeted by the very last person she wanted to answer the door. Klaus. A _shirtless_ Klaus.

_Shirtless._

_Abs._

_Oh my God._

_Oops._

Caroline's eyes widened and she spun away from him, slapping a hand over her eyes. "Ah! Sorry!" she exclaimed.

Klaus chuckled at her reaction. "It's my fault. I forgot you were coming. I thought maybe Rebekah had something delivered." He remained calm, which was the complete opposite of Caroline's reaction. She still had a hand over her eyes.

"So you opened the door like _that?!_" she shrieked, her voice rising several octaves.

"I only just woke up, sweetheart," he explained.

Caroline shook her head and turned around, her eyes still squeezed shut. "Put on a shirt!" she demanded, only causing Klaus to laugh some more. Geez, just yesterday he was acting so distant. What was with the mood swings?

"Does it make you uncomfortable?" he teased.

"Is this really happening right now?" she groaned, more to herself than him.

"Fine, if it bothers you that much, I'll go change. Just open your eyes and come inside, Caroline," he said calmly.

Caroline opened one eye slowly, slamming it shut again when she saw that he still wasn't dressed. "Are you kidding me?!"

With a sigh, Klaus turned around and began walking away. "Rebekah!" he called.

A few seconds later, Rebekah appeared at the top of the stairwell, her face lighting up when she saw that Caroline was there, and then looking mortified when she saw her brother.

"Nik!" she scolded.

He smirked and held up his hands in defense. "I'm leaving right now," he promised.

When Caroline was sure he was gone, she opened her eyes again to see Rebekah approaching her with an apologetic look on her face.

"Sorry about him. Sometimes—well, most of the time—he gets overconfident."

"You think?" Caroline asked in exasperation.

Rebekah grabbed her elbow and dragged her in the direction of the living room. "Come on, just ignore him. We've got a project to do."

"Your house is really nice," Caroline complimented.

"Yes, well, you should tell that to Elijah."

Caroline glanced around, looking for the oldest Mikaelson. "Where is Elijah? I should introduce myself."

"Impromptu court session," Rebekah explained. "He'll be back later. Right now it's just you, me, Nik and Kol."

"Geez, you're in desperate need of some girl time then."

"Living with all boys isn't that bad. But of course, if you wanted to move in I wouldn't complain."

Caroline pretended to think it over. "Hm, sharing the same house as my history teacher? That's completely normal."

She shrugged and smiled. "You could change your mind."

"What about your parents?"

Rebekah sighed. "They live in Mystic Falls, but not with us. They're really not ideal roommates."

Caroline nodded in understanding. "I don't get along with my mom either, and I barely see my dad."

"It's a bit more complicated than just 'not getting along.' I love my parents, but...they don't love _us_."

"I'm sorry," Caroline said tenderly.

It was silent for a few minutes as they sat there, thinking about their relationships with their parents and bonding over their mutual struggle of not getting along with them. It was always nice to have a friend that understood. Bonnie and Caroline both shared the misery of having an absentee parent. Elena, however, lost both of hers when her parents' car went over Wickery Bridge. When you're forced to go through something like that, you need a friend who can understand.

It seemed that Rebekah could understand too.

"Did you know that my ex-boyfriend asked me to introduce him to you?" Caroline asked, attempting to change the subject to something lighter.

"Tyler?" Rebekah asked, a smirk on her face. "He wants you to play matchmaker? Why on earth would he ask _you_ of all people to do that for him?"

Caroline shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. But no matter how sweet he may seem in the beginning, _don't_ get involved with him. He has a really scary temper."

"So do I. Maybe we're a match made in heaven," she joked.

"Don't fall for it!" Caroline warned, scowling.

"What did he do to make you hate him so much?"

"The question is, what did _I_ do to make _him_ hate _me_ so much. I told him I needed a break so I could focus on school and he took it the wrong way. Now he takes every chance he gets to make me feel miserable about it, but I didn't do anything wrong, right? I mean, aren't you supposed to care more about your future than your boyfriend? Ugh, I just wish he would understand!"

Rebekah sat silently through Caroline's rant, pausing for a moment when she was done before speaking up again. "Well, if he tries to make a pass at me, I'll tell him to go to hell." She smirked. "I'm more interested in the other football player anyway. What's his name? Matt?"

Caroline smiled brightly. "Matt's a good guy. He works at the Grill after school and on the weekends if you wanted to—"

Rebekah began to stand up, but Caroline pulled her back down again. "Not now! We have a project to do!"

She groaned and reluctantly sat back down. "_Fine_."

-xxx-

It had been roughly two hours and they _still_ weren't done. What they _had_ accomplished, however, was A-worthy. They'd be surprised if they got anything less than a perfect score.

"Where's your bathroom?" Caroline asked.

"Down the hall, second door on the left," Rebekah answered automatically.

"Thanks." Caroline stood up and headed in the direction Rebekah had told her. _Down the hall, second door on the left. Down the hall, second door on the left, _she repeated.

But of course she ended up in the wrong room. What else did she expect? The house was huge! Anyone would get lost.

The room she ended up in was covered in paintings. On every wall there was a landscape, or a still life. It was as if Van Gogh had painted an entire private collection just for this room in the Mikaelsons' mansion. On the opposite wall, an easel was set up with sketches and paintbrushes scattered across the table next to it.

Caroline's feet moved of their own accord, bringing her toward the canvas that had a half-finished abstract painting propped up against it. Her eyes scanned over it, examining the precise details and impressive textures and colors. She didn't have to be an art expert to know that this was one of the best pieces of artwork to ever exist. Why wasn't this hanging in a museum somewhere or being auctioned off for millions of dollars?

"Do you like it?" came a voice from behind her.

Caroline whirled around and saw Klaus leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. His light mood from earlier when she met him at the door had vanished. He was serious again. Almost as serious as he was yesterday in class, only this time he wasn't ignoring her.

"Sorry, I was just looking. I didn't touch anything."

Klaus smirked at her and pushed himself off the wall, coming to stand beside her and observe the painting on the easel.

"It's not my best work," he admitted. "I'm more fond of my landscapes." He gestured toward one on the wall of rolling green hills. It was so realistic and...breathtaking.

"Wait a second," Caroline said. "Did you do these?"

Klaus was humble about it, which was surprising for some reason. "Yes."

"_All_ of them?"

He nodded.

"They're amazing," Caroline breathed. Her attention was brought back to the abstract painting on the easel. The strokes were dark and depressing, and after hearing what Rebekah had to say about their parents, it wasn't hard to figure out where his inspiration came from. She wanted to hear what _he_ felt about them, but she didn't want to pry, so instead she tried to subtly bring up the topic, hoping it would encourage him to talk about it.

"I think it's brilliant how you took this darkness," she gestured to the black strokes, "and turned it into something beautiful. You're really talented."

Klaus laughed softly. "I'm glad you're impressed."

"I'm more than impressed," she admitted. The, after a pause, she added, "Where did the idea come from?"

His eyes darkened. "Nothing."

"Oh, come on. You can't create something like _this_ without some kind of inspiration."

Klaus turned to look her in the eyes, his own eyes swimming with emotions that Caroline couldn't even begin to try and decipher. He stared at her intently, debating whether or not he should open up to her.

"It's personal," was all he said.

In that second, she forgot he was her teacher. She forgot that he was Rebekah's brother and she was supposed to keep her distance. Because in that moment, he was her friend.

Caroline reached for his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He looked down at their hands, confused, before looking back up at her. Her expression was soft and her bright blue eyes were kind. Warmth spread from where their skin touched and surged through his body, and although in the back of his mind he was aware of the dangers of getting too close to her, he honestly couldn't care less right now.

Minutes passed, but he didn't say anything for fear of breaking their moment. After a while, when she realized that he wasn't going to say anything, Caroline let his hand drop and sighed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry," she apologized. She turned around and started for the door, but Klaus's voice stopped her.

"My father hates me."

Caroline turned back around slowly, shocked at his sudden revelation. She stepped toward him again, but his eyes didn't leave the painting in front of them.

"Not my real father, technically," he continued. "His name is Mikael. My mother, Esther, had an affair while she was still with him, and I was the result. He had always hated me, even when he didn't know I was illegitimate. When he _did_ find out, he and Esther fought, but they eventually worked things out. I was kicked out of the house and I ended up moving in with Elijah overseas. Rebekah and Kol followed me. When he moved back here, I stayed in the UK up until last summer. Mikael and Esther still live here, but none of us are in contact with them."

Caroline was silent.

"It's a confusing story, I know," Klaus said. His eyes drifted over to the blonde girl standing next to him with worry etched on her face. He could tell that she didn't quite understand what he was getting at yet, so he moved forward, facing Caroline directly. "Mikael was a very..." he seemed to struggle for the right words, "violent man."

His eyes were hard and his jaw was clenched as he remembered his damaged childhood. Caroline wanted to grab his hand again but was afraid that it would make him more upset.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked quietly.

"You wanted to know my inspiration for this painting."

Caroline stared at the ground. "I'm so sorry."

Klaus opening his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by Rebekah, who had just entered the room. "There you are!" she said to Caroline. She looked between her friend and her brother, her confusion evident. "What are you doing in here?"

"She got lost and I found her in here admiring my work, so I told her a bit about it," Klaus explained.

Caroline nodded in agreement. "Sorry."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Well come on! We're not done with this project yet."

Caroline threw Klaus one last reassuring look before following after Rebekah, leaving him to replay their conversation over and over in his head.

He liked her. That much was clear. What worried him was the _way_ he liked her.

What worried him even more was how _much _he liked her.

-xxx-

**A/N: Reviews are more than welcome! What are your thoughts, opinions, suggestions? What did you like or not like? I need feedback like I need oxygen! And who knows, maybe it'll encourage me to update faster ;)**

**-Morgan**

**tumblr: sexwithjomo**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: I'm completely blown away by the response to this story! I literally tear up every time I read your reviews! It means so much to me, guys :') I can't even emphasize how much happy each of your reviews make me.  
**

**Also, happy holidays! I hope you had an awesome time celebrating whatever it is that you celebrate :D  
**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

-xxx-

Caroline slid her coat off and draped it over the back of the chair before sitting down, her eyes trained on the door of the Grill while she waited for Bonnie to arrive. They were planning on meeting there for dinner and some much needed girl talk.

The minutes passed slowly, dragging by one by one while Caroline grew more and more impatient. She kept shifting in her seat and checking the time every two minutes.

_Where the hell is Bonnie?_

Bonnie was never late. In fact, she was always early. Caroline was the one who was almost never punctual. And of course the day she had to talk to Bonnie about something extremely important, she never showed up. It was just her luck.

She wanted to talk to her about Mr. Mikaelson. She didn't know what she was feeling and she knew she could always trust Bonnie to be there for her and to not judge. Actually, the more Caroline was forced to wait, the more time she had to rethink her decision to tell anyone about what she was feeling. It wasn't even a good idea in the first place.

But no, she couldn't think like that. She had to tell _someone! _She couldn't just keep this secret bottled up! She was terrible at keeping secrets! Well, first she had to work out if she _had_ any secrets to keep. She had no idea how she felt towards Mr. Mikaelson, so maybe it was nothing.

Wow, this was getting confusing.

Suddenly, Caroline's phone lit up.

_Bonnie calling_.

She pressed a button and held the device up to her ear. "Bonnie, where the _hell_ are you?!" she whisper-shouted, checking around to make sure no one had heard her. It was difficult to be angry and not draw attention to yourself at the same time.

"I'm so sorry, Care. Something came up and my dad wants me home tonight, so I don't think I can make it."

Caroline sighed, her anger dissipating. "It's okay. Just...next time tell me _before_ I'm sitting in the Grill for thirty minutes waiting on you to show up." Okay, so maybe her irritation wasn't _entirely_ gone.

"Sorry," Bonnie repeated sheepishly. "We can reschedule, right? Unless what you wanted to talk about was super urgent?"

Caroline's eyes darted to the bar, her breath catching and her chest tightening when she saw who was sitting there. Oh, God he was standing up. Oh no, he was coming over here! No, no, no, no, no!

"Care?" Bonnie asked, concerned when she didn't hear her friend reply.

"Uh...still here, sorry. Yeah, we can reschedule. I have to go."

"Care—"

Caroline hung up and shoved her phone into her purse, rushing to stand up and pull her coat on before he could approach her. She didn't want to talk to him until she knew for a fact how she felt about him, which was why she needed to talk to Bonnie right away.

But no. It was too late, because Mr. Mikaelson was making his way over to her with a bottle of scotch in his hand and a smile plastered on his handsome face.

She put her on sweetest smile as he came closer and stopped in front of her. "Hi, Mr. Mikaelson," she greeted him.

He rolled his eyes. "Hello, love. What's with the formality? Please, call me Klaus."

"Okay, _Klaus_," Caroline amended, trying out the name. It felt weird to call him that, but then again, hadn't they gotten to that point? She knew his life story. He opened up to her in ways that he'd never opened up to anyone outside of his family before. Hadn't she earned to right to call him by his first name?

"What are you doing here by yourself on a Friday evening?" he said, his words slightly slurred.

"Are you drunk?" Caroline asked, torn between being concerned or laughing at situation she was in. It was one thing to see your teacher outside of school—which really wasn't that big of a deal anymore considering she'd already been in his house and seen him without a shirt—but to see your teacher completely inebriated? _That_ was something.

Klaus tilted his head to the side. "What gave you that idea?"

Caroline's eyes drifted to the bottle of alcohol in his hand that was nearly empty.

Klaus followed her gaze and then held up the bottle, a smirk on his face. "Would you like some?"

She scoffed. "You're a horrible influence. Offering a high schooler some scotch? That's breaking the law, you know."

He narrowed his eyes. "If you're anything like my sister is, then you're not a nun."

She squinted at him and crossed her arms over her chest in defiance.

"Don't tell me you've never had alcohol before."

"My mother is the sheriff," Caroline answered, pausing for a second before continuing. "Which has only made me better at getting away with breaking the law. If I'm going to take you up on your offer of a drink, then I'm not going to do it at a bar filled with adult prying eyes."

Klaus's smirk widened. "Then I'll take you home."

"No way. I'm taking _you_ home. You've had way too much to drink for me to even contemplate letting you drive yourself." She held out her hand. "Keys, please."

"What about _your_ car?" he asked.

"I walked here. It's not that far from my house and fresh air is always nice." _I also assumed I'd actually have a ride home_, she thought indignantly.

"Then let's walk," he suggested, taking a few steps forward and stumbling into the table. Caroline caught him by the arm and slung it around her shoulders, letting him lean against her.

"That's not gonna happen," she mumbled to herself. "You can barely hold yourself upright."

Klaus lifted the bottle to his mouth to take another sip, but it had only just brushed his lips when it was snatched from his hands.

"I'm cutting you off," Caroline told him, her tone scolding.

Klaus looked affronted.

Caroline rolled her eyes at him. "Don't look at me like that. Come on." She led him out of the Grill and towards the parking lot as she reached her hand in the front pocket of his coat, pulling out a pair of keys.

She clicked the unlock button, watching as one of the black cars parked across the street lit up. She opened the passenger's door and helped him in, walking around the front to slide into the driver's side.

"Seatbelt," she ordered.

Klaus did as she said, resting his head against the seat. It was silent as Caroline started the car, but as soon as she began pulling out, he spoke up. "Am I drunk?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "A little," she answered, her eyes alight with humor.

He was quiet for a moment, and she was aware of him staring at her. "You're really beautiful, Caroline...and strong...and full of light."

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Klaus," she warned. "Don't say anything you'll regret."

"No, I'm being honest. I enjoy you."

"If we're going to have this conversation, then I wish I hadn't left that bottle of scotch at the Grill."

"You left my scotch at the Grill?"

"That's not important."

"But—"

"I'll pay you back," she promised.

The rest of the ride was spent in complete silence. Klaus stared out the window and fought to stay awake while Caroline's eyes remained trained on the road. When she parked in front of his mansion, he unbuckled his seatbelt and tried climbing out, which only resulted in him falling on the ground.

Caroline sighed and walked over to help him up, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Klaus, get up."

"No," he complained. "I'm comfortable here."

"So you're just going to sleep outside all night?"

"I'm outside?"

Normally she would've laughed, but her mood had been more serious ever since his confession in the car. She grabbed his arm and tried pulling him to his feet, and he made her job easier by pushing himself up. She looped her arm around his waist and he draped his arm over her shoulders again, letting her lead him into the house.

"Which way to your room?" she asked quietly, hoping she wouldn't run into anyone if they were in the house.

Klaus pointed down the hallway and decided to take the lead, summoning all his energy to direct her to his bedroom. As soon as the door closed behind them, he fell onto his bed face first.

"This is like taking care of a child," Caroline said, coming over to tug his shoes off and discard them across the room. "Roll over," she ordered, and he did as he was told, allowing her to pull the covers over him.

"Caroline—" he began.

"Sh. Just rest."

"I have to say something. It's important."

She frowned. "What is it?"

He paused, staring into her deep blue eyes intently. "You don't have to pay me back for the scotch."

-xxx-

When Klaus woke up the next morning, it felt like he had been hit by a train. How much did he drink? And how did he get home?

All his questions were answered when something on his bedside table caught his eye. There was a note sitting next to a glass of water and a bottle of painkillers.

_Klaus,_

_You were completely hammered last night when I saw you at the Grill, so I dropped you off here. I left you something to drink and some medicine to help with the hangover. Don't drink so much next time._

_Feel better,_

_Caroline_

So that's how he got home. Reading her note helped him remember what had transpired between them last night.

_"You're really beautiful, Caroline...and strong...and full of light."_

What the hell had he been thinking?! He couldn't just say that to one of his students!

A fresh wave of memories crashed over him, and he tried piecing everything together so that it made sense. The last thing he could clearly remember was sitting at the bar, trying to grade papers but giving up after a few minutes because he couldn't focus. He ended up paying for an entire bottle of alcohol in an attempt to stave off thoughts of _her_. It worked, of course, until he noticed her sitting alone at one of the tables, talking with someone over the phone.

Without even thinking about it, he stood up to greet her. Their conversation was a blur, but one thing he recalled perfectly was the way her arm gently curled around his waist to support him and how it felt to be leaned against her, even if it was only for the short amount of time it took to walk to his car.

Oh, but then there was the time when she had to help him walk to his house too, because he fell on his face. Never in his life had he been that intoxicated.

He swallowed four of the pills and chased them down with the water she had left him before climbing out of bed and heading for Rebekah's room. He let himself in, not even bothering to knock.

"He lives," she commented. She was sitting in front of her vanity, applying a coat of lip gloss.

"Where's your phone?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"On my bedside table. Why?"

Klaus didn't answer her. Instead, he went straight for her bedside table, picking up her phone and scrolling through her contacts.

"Nik, what on earth are you doing?"

He remained silent, pulling out his own phone and programming a new number into it. When he was done, he returned his sister's phone to where he found it and walked out of her room without any explanation as to what he was doing, leaving Rebekah confused and utterly annoyed.

Klaus called the new number he had just added, holding the phone up to his ear and waiting to hear her voice.

"Hello?" she answered groggily.

"Did I wake you up?" he asked apologetically.

"Klaus?!" she exclaimed, sounding a thousand times more awake than she had a few moments ago when she spoke.

"Good morning, love."

"How did you get my number?"

"Rebekah."

"Why are you calling me?"

"To thank you," he answered simply.

Caroline was quiet. "Oh...well, you're welcome. How do you feel?"

"Like I got run over by a bus."

He expected her to laugh, but instead he was met with silence. "Do you remember anything you said last night?" she wondered aloud.

Klaus knew she was referring to the _beautiful, strong, and full of light_ comment, but he decided that it was best not to bring that up. So he lied. "No, I don't. Why?"

"Just wondering." She paused. "Well...feel better."

She hung up, feeling as confused as ever.

-xxx-

**A/N: I hope you've been enjoying these chapters. Please let me know if you are! Feedback keeps me motivated, so make sure you review! Even if it's only to say "loved it" or "hated it" or even just a "hi!" I'm sure it'll make me fangirl either way!  
**

**-Morgan**

**tumblr: sexwithjomo**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Seriously, you guys, I can't thank you enough for your reviews and encouragement! If I didn't get any of your feedback, then this story wouldn't have made it this far. So thank you SOOO much for all of your thoughts, opinions, and suggestions! Each one means so much to me :D**

**P.S. Sorry for my lack of football knowledge. I tried.  
**

**Enjoy this chapter! ;)**

-xxx-

"Only sixty more yards to go...he passes it to number 77 and OH, IT'S INTERCEPTED BY STEFAN SALVATORE!" the announcer screamed into the microphone. The crowd erupted into applause and rose to their feet, yelling encouragements at Stefan as he ran it into the in-zone.

The scoreboard counted down the final seconds of the third quarter and added six more points to the Timberwolves' score. Caroline and the rest of the squad were on the sidelines, waving their pom poms in the air and cheering on Stefan with the rest of the crowd.

Caroline glanced over at the bench that Tyler was sitting on. He stood up, fuming, and threw his helmet on the ground. He stormed away, brushing past the cheerleaders and heading away from the field.

"Tyler?" she asked, dropping her pom poms and following after him. "Tyler, wait!"

He stomped over to the area beside the bleachers and stopped to whirl around and face Caroline, the anger rolling off of him in waves. "What do you want, Caroline?!" he yelled at her. His eyes burned into hers with rage.

She flinched back. "I just wanted to see if you were okay...you seem upset."

He laughed humorlessly. "Do I?"

Her concern for him began to dissipate once she realized that he was just being a dick and he didn't _want_ anyone's concern. She crossed her arms over her chest and her face hardened. "Why did you just storm off like that? There's still one more quarter left in the game."

"Why don't you just go back to cheering on Stefan like everyone else?"

"Is that what this is about? You're upset because Stefan scored and you were on the bench?" She wasn't trying to sound unpleasant, but being soft and understanding obviously didn't help.

"It's not my fault Coach Tanner started him instead of me! I've been waiting for a first string position for three years, and I was about to get it too, before Stefan Salvatore had to show up and take it all away!"

Caroline crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't be angry with Stefan—"

"You don't tell me who I get to be angry with, Caroline! Why are you even talking to me? Aren't you supposed to be waving your pom poms and doing your stupid little dances and flips or whatever?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay, because even though I want to punch you in the face 99% of the time, I still care about you."

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Well, I don't care about _you_. When are you gonna get that through your head, Caroline? You _dumped_ me. I want nothing to do with you anymore. You're just an insecure, neurotic, bitchy little twit."

Caroline raised her hand and struck Tyler across the face with a resounding smack. A stinging sensation rushed through her hand and all the way up her arm, but the pain was overshadowed by the immense satisfaction she felt at seeing the look of shock on his face.

Without another word, she walked away and headed towards the parking lot. After hearing what Tyler had to say to her, she didn't want to spend another second at that football game with a phony smile plastered on her face as she cheered on the team with even phonier enthusiasm.

She could feel the tears well up in her eyes as what he said began to sink in.

_I don't care about you_.

_I want nothing to do with you anymore_.

_You're just an insecure, neurotic, bitchy little twit_.

She knew that as soon as she got to her car, she would just fall apart.

_Crap!_

Elena was her ride, and there was absolutely no way she was going back into that stadium and making her miss the rest of the game just so she could drive Caroline home and let her cry about Tyler. Nope. Not a chance. She would walk home if she had to.

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she forgot to watch where she was going, so she really shouldn't have been so surprised when she smacked right into someone's chest.

"Sorry," Caroline mumbled to whomever she had run into, not even glancing up to see who it was.

She felt them grab her by the shoulders to steady her, holding her at arms' length. "Easy, love."

Her eyes snapped up to meet his light blue ones. "Mr. Mikaelson?"

He smirked. "I thought I told you to call me Klaus?"

She nodded and tried stepping around him quickly so he wouldn't see the tears that still shone in her eyes, but of course he noticed anyway. It was just her luck.

Klaus's smile faded. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she answered, her voice breaking.

"Are you sure?"

She shook her head.

"What happened?"

"Tyler... Nevermind, just forget it."

He stared at her, concerned. "Do you need a ride home? I sort of owe you, after..." he trailed off, but she understood that he was referring to the Grill incident.

Caroline hesitated, deciding whether or not she could hold it together for the few minutes it took for him to drive her home. Eventually, she agreed. It was a hell of a lot better than walking, even if she'd be fighting tears the entire time.

-xxx-

They sat in tense silence for a few seconds, and the tension between them could've been cut with a knife. Klaus's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly and he glanced over at Caroline who had her lips pressed together in a line. She crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to hold herself together at least until she got home.

Klaus was concerned. He didn't know what Tyler had said to her, and he didn't know if he wanted to find out. But at the same time he also wanted to snap the Lockwood boy's neck for hurting her. He couldn't help but feel this strange sense of protectiveness over her.

His eyes darted over to her again, growing more and more worried by the second. "Caroline?" he asked. She didn't move. "Are you alr—"

Before he could get the rest of his sentence out, Caroline broke down into sobs that shook her entire frame. Tears spilled down her cheeks and she frantically tried wiping them away, giving up when she realized the only thing that would do is smear her makeup.

Klaus waited for her to cry herself out, not wanting to offer any words of comfort for fear that it would just make her lose it again. He had been there many times for Rebekah when she had a meltdown, and anything he tried to say to make her feel better ultimately resulted in more tears.

Caroline calmed down after a few minutes, silent tears still streaming down her face. She would hiccup periodically and her hands still shook slightly. She was certain that fer face was bright red from crying and she probably looked like a clown, but her appearance wasn't as embarrassing as the fact that she had been so vulnerable in front of Klaus. He was probably thinking how unbelievably sensitive and weak she was.

In reality, he wasn't thinking that at all. All he could think about was how much he hated seeing her this upset and what the best way to comfort her would be without making her _more_ upset. Well, silence wouldn't help in the slightest.

"Caroline?" he tried again.

Caroline stared out the windshield. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Don't apologize," Klaus told her. Then he added, "Why are you so upset?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing."

"It doesn't seem like nothing."

She sighed and turned her head to look at him. "I told you, it's...Tyler," she said.

He nodded slowly, his hands tightening around the steering wheel. "What did he do?" he asked, his voice dark.

"He was an ass," she said, scoffing, "as usual."

They were at her house now. Klaus pulled into her driveway and put the car in park, shifting towards her and giving her his full attention.

"Caroline, whatever he said to you...it isn't true."

"But what if it is? I mean, what he said makes perfect sense. I _am_ insecure and neurotic. I know that, but hearing him say it...?" she trailed off, shaking her head. Her eyes drifted down to her hands, which were folded in her lap. "Do you ever feel like there's not a person in the world who loves you?" she whispered.

Klaus eyed her curiously. He knew that feeling all too well.

"Tyler had no idea what he was talking about," he said.

Caroline shook her head. "Tyler knows _exactly_ what he's talking about." A few more tears managed to escape and roll silently down her cheeks. "He's right. Everyone's right."

"Caroline, look at me," Klaus said.

She raised her head and met his gaze.

"I meant what a said a few nights ago. You _are_ beautiful and strong and full of light."

The corners of her mouth twitched up into a small smile. "You said you didn't remember saying that."

He smirked at her. "I lied."

She stared at him for a few seconds. "Why are you so nice to me?"

"What are you talking about? I'm not nice," he joked.

"I'm serious."

Klaus sighed, not exactly sure how to respond. This was a mistake. All of it. He shouldn't have gotten so tangled up in the personal life of one of his students. It could get him in serious trouble. It could get _her_ in serious trouble. But he was in too deep.

"I don't know," he answered finally. "But I _do_ know that Tyler needs to learn some manners before I'm tempted to fail him."

Caroline's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry about all this."

"I told you not to apologize." He paused, tilting his head to the side. "What _did_ Tyler say to you?"

"It doesn't matter. I've heard it all before, and it's true every time."

"I doubt that."

"No, it is. I'm just a stupid, shallow, useless waste of—"

She cut off by Klaus's lips crashing into hers. He didn't want to hear her say things like that about herself, especially when none of it was true. The solution was simple; grab her and kiss her. Besides, he couldn't help himself. She was just so damn beautiful, even with her face all red and puffy from crying.

Caroline's eyes widened in surprise and she stilled as he brought his hands up to cradle her face. She gave in and closed her eyes, covering his hands with hers to keep them there.

His lips were soft and gentle, which wasn't what she was expecting, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. A million thoughts were racing through her mind, most of which were telling her to stop right now because this was wrong, but it felt so far from wrong.

Caroline deepened the kiss, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck and feeling his own hands drop from her face and travel down her sides until he was gripping her waist. He explored her mouth with his own, forgetting—and quite frankly, not caring—that she was his student.

A minute later, Klaus separated his lips from hers and pulled back, leaving both of them out of breath. They stared at each other, neither of them sure what to say. Caroline's expression was conflicted, and Klaus's was unfathomable.

Caroline was the one who finally broke the silence. "So...I guess I'll see you on Monday?" she asked quietly.

Klaus nodded.

She opened the car door and stepped outside, giving him one last hesitant look before shutting the door and heading for her house, not turning around when she heard him start his car and back out of her driveway.

When Caroline was inside, she leaned against the wall and was silent, raising a hand to lightly touch her fingers to her mouth, where she could still feel the ghost of Mr. Mikaelson's lips covering her own.

_What the hell just happened?_

-xxx-

**A/N: What do you think? Were you expecting that? Let me know what you thought! I need feedback so I know if you guys are still enjoying this story and if I should continue updating :D I'm so grateful for the response I've gotten so far! Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Leave a review in the box below :)**

**Much love,**

**Morgan**

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	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update! I've been super busy these past few days and I haven't had much time to write, but things are starting to slow down :) As always, thank you so much for reviewing and favoriting and following this story! I don't deserve to have such awesome readers, so thank you. You guys are seriously the best :')**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

-xxx-

By the time Monday rolled around, Caroline was a nervous wreck. She wasn't able to get much sleep, and even after three cups of coffee—which was three cups more than she usually drank in the mornings—she still wasn't ready to face the day.

Now she sat at one of the wooden picnic tables on the front lawn of the school, trying to complete the homework she forgot to finish due to her worrying about today. She had her textbook open and was trying to read, but the words went over her head. She tapped her fingers against the table, growing impatient. Could she just go to first period and get this over with already?

"Hey, Caroline."

Caroline glanced up from her book to see Elena approaching her with a small smile. "Hey."

Elena set her bag down and took a seat across from Caroline. "How are you feeling? I haven't talked to you since you texted me at the game to say you were sick."

"I'm fine," Caroline replied unconvincingly.

"Are you sure? It looks like you haven't been sleeping... Have you gone to a doctor?"

"It's nothing, it was just a twenty-four hour thing. Nothing terrible. I'm fine now, don't be concerned...also nothing happened on the way home from the game, nothing at all. Don't worry. _I'm_ not worrying. Does this look like the face of someone who's worried?" Caroline forced a laugh, but it sounded more like a cat being strangled.

Elena gave her the side-eye. "Are you sure you're okay? You seem nervous."

Caroline shook her head vehemently. "I told you, I'm totally fine! I just..." she racked her brain for an excuse, "...had a lot of caffeine today, so I'm full of energy. I had three cups of coffee this morning."

"I thought you didn't like coffee?"

"Well, I like it now!" She smiled widely.

Elena stared at her friend suspiciously. "Something's definitely up with you, Care. What's wrong? Is it Tyler?"

_Oh, if only it were that simple._

Caroline pretended to be caught off guard by something in the distance. "Oh, look! A reason to leave!" She gathered her things quickly and speed-walked away from Elena, who remained at the table with her confusion evident in her expression.

-xxx-

As Caroline took a seat at her usual desk, she realized that Klaus was nowhere to be seen. She didn't know whether that fact made her feel relieved or disappointed. If he wasn't here, she wouldn't have to face him, but she would need to see him eventually. How long can someone put off the inevitable?

Tyler walked into the classroom then, keeping his head down as he passed Caroline and took a seat in the desk behind her. She smiled proudly, getting the feeling that he wouldn't be bothering her again for quite some time due to what transpired between them at the game.

Bonnie and Elena entered to classroom, each of them waving at Caroline with concerned expressions. Elena must have told Bonnie about her weird behavior this morning.

Caroline sighed. She never did end up talking to either of them about Klaus, and she probably never would. Especially not after the kiss. How was she supposed to explain that?

_Hey, guys, so I was lying when I said I got sick at the game and had to go home. In reality, I was making out with our teacher in a car._

She could practically feel the judgement she would receive if she told them that.

As soon as the bell rang, Caroline tensed in her seat. She nervously fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, her heartbeat picking up as she watched Klaus come in and close the door, making his way to the head of the classroom.

He picked up a stack of papers and handed them to Dana to pass out. "You have the whole hour. Feel free to use your notes," he said tiredly before sitting at his desk and poring over paperwork, not even sparing Caroline a glance.

-xxx-

It was the longest hour of Caroline's life. She kept glancing up at him while she was taking the quiz, but he was always fixed on whatever he was working on at his desk. She didn't know if she should feel relieved that she wasn't subjected to the awkwardness that she expected or if she should feel irritated for being ignored.

To be perfectly honest, she was feeling more of the latter.

When the bell rang to signify the end of class, everyone filed quickly out of the room except for Caroline. She decided to stay back and confront Klaus about what happened on Friday. Although it was the last thing she wanted to do, she knew it would've happened eventually. The sooner she got it over with the better.

"Hey, Care, are you coming?" Elena asked as she and Bonnie waited for her by the door.

"No, I have to ask a question about the homework. Don't wait up for me, okay?"

The girls nodded and walked away, leaving Caroline alone with Klaus. He propped his feet up on his desk and looked at her for the first time that day, waiting for her to say something.

"The homework really isn't that hard to understand, love. You only have to read chapter 3 in your textbook."

She glared at him. "You and I both know that's not why I'm here."

He swung his legs off the desk and stood up to close the classroom door. "You're right," he said. "You're here to get an education and because it's the law."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Look, if you want to forget it happened, that's fine with me. But I at least deserve an explanation." She took a step towards him. "Why did you do it?"

Klaus stared her down for a moment, his expression unreadable. "I don't know," he finally answered.

She scoffed. "You don't know?" she repeated incredulously.

"It's not exactly an easy thing to explain, sweetheart."

"Well then I'll ask something simpler. Do you regret it?"

He was silent for a while, thinking it over. Did he regret kissing her? Truthfully he didn't, and that worried him a little. He knew he _should_ regret it, but he just...didn't.

"No," he responded.

His answer surprised her, but it somehow made her even angrier. "Then why are you avoiding me like the plague?"

Klaus took a few steps toward her. "Were you expecting special treatment?"

She dropped her gaze. "No, but I wasn't expecting you to—"

"—Treat you like I would any other student?" he asked, finishing her sentence for her. "Caroline, you're beautiful, but if you don't let this drop, you and I could both get in trouble."

He was right in front of her now. She could feel his cool breath tickling her face and she fought the urge to look into his eyes.

"I thought you didn't regret it?"

"I don't. You're a _glorious_ kisser." The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile for the briefest moment before he composed himself. "But I also value my job."

"Where does this leave us?" she asked, not sure what she wanted the answer to be.

"There is no _us_."

Caroline nodded, finally looking up into his light blue eyes. "I shouldn't have brought it up. It was a mistake, and it won't happen again."

He frowned. "A mistake?"

"Yes, a mistake. I don't want to do anything that could get you in trouble," she admitted softly.

They stared at each other for quite some time, neither of them sure what to say. Eventually, his eyes darted to the clock on the wall and he realized that time got away from them while they were talking.

"You should hurry. You only have one minute to get to your next class."

Caroline's eyes widened and she gathered her things, scurrying out the door without giving him a second glance.

-xxx-

At the end of the day, Caroline speed-walked towards the parking lot, wanting to get away from the school as quickly as possible. She knew Bonnie and Elena would want to talk to her since she's been acting weird and distant ever since first period, but she wasn't ready to talk about it with them yet.

She was halfway across the school's front lawn when she heard someone exclaim from behind her, "Caroline!"

She cursed under her breath and put on a fake smile before turning around to see whoever it was.

"There you are," Kol said as he approached her. "Bonnie's looking for you."

"Well, Bonnie's just going to have to wait. Now if you'll excuse me..." she tried leaving, but Kol grabbed her arm to keep her from getting too far.

"Relax, darling. Why are you in such a rush?"

"I really need to get home, Kol. I have a lot of homework and—"

"Is there a reason you've been avoiding everyone today?"

Caroline crossed her arms over her chest. "Did Bonnie put you up to this?"

"Maybe."

She rolled her eyes. "You can tell Bonnie and whoever else wants to know, that I'm fine. It's just been a bad day."

Kol smirked. "You know what would make it better?"

"If what you're about to say is inappropriate, then I don't want to know."

He was silent.

"That's what I thought," Caroline said before turning around and heading to her car.

-xxx-

The next day wasn't much better. Klaus treated her exactly like he would any other student, and that bothered her for some reason. It wasn't that she wanted special treatment, it was that she didn't want to be just _anyone_ to him.

She wondered how different things would be if she weren't his student.

On a few occasions during his lecture, they would accidentally lock eyes, causing Caroline to blush and look anywhere but at him.

"Turn to page 212 and begin reading," he commanded, and the class did as they were told.

Caroline sighed and flipped to the assigned page, tensing when she felt Klaus walk past her. He had gone to throw something away, and when he walked by her, she was almost certain she was hallucinating when she felt a small piece of paper slip under her hand.

She opened it discreetly, her heart thumping loudly. Klaus was back at his desk, propping his feet up and folding his arms behind his head like he usually did.

_Meet me for lunch_, the note read.

Caroline glanced up at him again, but he wasn't looking at her. She tucked the note in her pocket, nervous and not sure what to expect from her lunch plans later that day.

-xxx-

**A/N: So basically Klaus would love to be with her if it weren't for their situation. You get to see how he handles that in the next chapter :) Again, I'm so sorry for the late update, but I hope you enjoyed it!  
**

**Make sure to leave you thoughts, opinions, theories, or suggestions in the box below! Reviews are love :D**

**-Morgan**

**tumblr: sexwithjomo**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Hey, guys! First I'd like to thank you all for your amazing reviews. You're all fantastic people and I love each and every one of you :) You're all so encouraging and I'm so happy and excited that you like this fic as much as I like writing it.**

**I'd also like to apologize because I know you guys are asking for longer chapters and so far they've been kind of short (especially this one) but I'll explain myself in the author's note after the chapter.**

**Enjoy! :D**

-xxx-

Caroline had no idea what to think as she approached the classroom. What in the world was he going to talk to her about? Did he have a change of heart? Was he going to reiterate his misgivings about starting a relationship with her? Or was it something else entirely?

She placed her hand on the door handle and hesitated, taking a deep breath before pushing the door open. She stepped inside and quietly shut it behind her.

"Caroline." Klaus was setting down whatever file he had in his hands as he stepped around his desk.

Caroline folded her arms over her chest. "Mr. Mikaelson."

"You're back to calling me that?"

She shrugged and changed the subject. "You know we're not supposed to leave campus to go to lunch, right?"

"I'm well aware of that."

"Then why did you want me to meet you here?"

"I want to talk."

She sighed and took a seat in one of the desks in the front row. "What do you want to talk about?"

Klaus leaned back against his desk and crossed his arms. "I was wrong the other day," he said.

That caught her off guard. "About what?"

"All of it. I can't treat you like any other student because you're _not_ any other student."

Caroline's eyes widened. "Okay, you're confusing me. One minute you're pushing me away, and the next you're willing to try and make things work? How can I be sure you aren't going to change your mind again tomorrow?"

He narrowed his eyes and moved toward her, placing his hands on her desk and leaning forward until his face was mere inches from hers. "I give you my word."

She instinctively leaned in a few centimeters. "That doesn't really mean much."

He smirked. "Then I supposed you'll just have to trust that I'll stick to my decision."

"Does this mean you want to make this work?"

"Only if you do."

"You aren't worried about getting in trouble?"

He smirked. "Caroline, love. That one of the most exciting parts." Caroline's eyes flickered to his lips, but before she could even consider closing the gap between them, he pulled away. "Now go find your friends before they get suspicious."

-xxx-

Caroline walked out of the classroom, glancing around the hallway to make sure no one saw her. It was empty. Breathing a sigh of relief, she rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks when she saw Rebekah standing there, suspicion clear in her expression.

"Rebekah! Oh my God, you scared me."

"What were you doing in there?" she asked, tilting her head in the direction of her brother's classroom.

Caroline's heartbeat picked up and she struggled for words. "I...I...had to retake a quiz."

Rebekah stared her down for several moments, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed. "Hm," was all she said before she turned on her heel and walked away.

It took Caroline a minute to get her heartbeat to slow. Rebekah knew something was up, but all Caroline could hope for was that she didn't know exactly what that something was.

-xxx-

If Caroline felt guilty about breaking her "no dating" rule the past few weeks, she did a great job of ignoring it. Sneaking around was exhilarating and even though the whole thing was a bad idea, it felt so worth it.

They hadn't really seen each other outside of school, so they took every chance they had of spending time with one another. She would sometimes stay after class for "help with the homework" and other times she would get to school early for "tutoring."

Today Caroline was spending her free period in the library to catch up on some reading for her English class. She was standing behind one of the many tall bookshelves that lined the room, thumbing through the pages of _Brave New World _when she felt someone wrap their arms around her waist from behind.

"I remember having to read that when I was in high school," he whispered, his voice low and rough.

"Klaus," she scolded quietly, although she was smiling. "Someone could see."

He turned her around to face him. "They won't. The shelves are too high and there aren't very many people in here." He took the book from her hands and flipped through the pages. "Good book," he commented.

She rolled her eyes. "It's not Nicholas Sparks, but compared to some of the other books I'm required to read, this one wins."

"Rebekah loves Nicholas Sparks. I can see why you two get along."

"Well, _The Notebook_ is amazing. I can't even count how many times I've read it. My copy has almost completely fallen apart."

"We'll have to get you a new one then."

Klaus placed _Brave New World_ back on the shelf in a random spot and leaned forward, encircling her waist and touching his forehead to hers.

Caroline chuckled. "The librarian's going to be pissed. It's against the rules to put the books back in non-alphabetical order."

"I could think of several other rules I'm breaking," he said before capturing her lips with his.

Caroline tangled her hands in his hair and he pulled her closer, holding her tightly against him. He explored her mouth with his tongue, enjoying the quiet little gasp she made. Her lips were soft, but her kisses were firm and passionate.

He pulled his mouth from hers and planted a series of kisses down her jaw and neck before moving back up to her lips again. She ran her hands up his arms and held onto his shoulders as his own hands trailed down her back, making her shiver slightly.

He felt her smirk against his lips and lean back, catching her bottom lip between her teeth and gazing up at him through her eyelashes. "Don't forget we're in a library," she reminded him in a whisper.

He grinned at her, but after a few moments his smile fell. "Homecoming is next week, isn't it?" he asked.

Oh, right. Homecoming. For the fourth year in a row, Caroline was nominated for homecoming queen. Of course, she had never won before because the winner was usually a senior, but now that _she_ was a senior, she might actually have a shot. Then again, she was in the running against Elena Gilbert of all people, and if Caroline had to bet on who would get the title, she'd bet all her money on Elena. The Fell cousins didn't even have a chance and neither did Amy Bradley. So basically it was just a competition between her and her best friend, and unless there was another miracle like at last year's Miss Mystic pageant, Elena was guaranteed to win.

Caroline narrowed her eyes. "You can't take me."

"Of course not. I'm a chaperone."

"Ooh, so I get to see you in a suit." She beamed at him.

"What will _you_ be wearing, Miss Mystic Falls?"

"Don't know yet. I'm going shopping with your sister this weekend. She wants to help me pick out the perfect dress. Don't tell Elena, but I think she wants me to win homecoming queen."

"If I could vote, I would definitely vote for you, sweetheart."

She smiled and reached up on her toes to kiss him lightly. "I'm sure you would. Now, as much as I'd love to stay here and continue chatting with you, Mr. Mikaelson, I have to go. I'll see you later."

-xxx-

**A/N: *cue super long author's note***

**So as I said earlier, I have some explaining to do. I'm so sorry these chapters aren't as long as a lot of other fics and I know you guys have asked for longer chapters. I'm not disregarding that, don't worry. I know you guys have also asked for faster updates, and I've kind of been slacking in that department too. I'm really sorry about that. _But_, I have good news and bad news.**

**Bad news is, updates are going to be a little more spaced out. I'll probably post a chapter every week, but hopefully this will only last for a few weeks. I don't have as much writing time right now because my semester exams are coming up and I'm also going through a lot of personal things. I feel like I'm disappointing you guys and I'm really sorry :(**

**Good news is, you can probably begin to expect longer chapters. The story is progressing a lot smoother now, so it's easier to write more than I have been. I'm really excited for what I have planned for this fic and I can't wait for you all to read it!**

**And now here's the part where I beg for reviews even though I really don't deserve them! It would be extremely helpful and would make my day if you could leave your thoughts, opinions, theories, or suggestions in the box below! :D**

**Much love,**

**Morgan**

**tumblr: sexwithjomo**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Thank you so much for your encouragement and support, you guys. I seriously don't deserve such amazing readers. And thank you so much for your reviews! I read each and every one of them and they motivate me to write more. Thank you so much :')**

**P.S. Someone asked how old Klaus is in this. I know he's 1000 years old in the show, but I don't think they mentioned the age he was turned. I think Klaus supposed to be younger than Joseph is in real life because that's how it is with all the other actors, so for this fic let's just say he's in his early twenties :)**

**I hope you like this chapter!**

-xxx-

"How about this one?" Caroline asked, holding up a backless black dress for Rebekah to see.

Rebekah stood off to the side, searching through the racks to find the perfect dress for herself and for Caroline. She glanced up at the satiny number her friend was holding and frowned.

"You're not going to win unless you wear something that makes you pop."

Caroline groaned in aggravation and hung the dress back up. "What do _you_ think I should wear, then?"

"I told you I liked the green one," she mumbled, turning her attention back to the dresses in front of her.

"Well, _I_ don't like the green one! I liked the blue one."

"The blue one was horrendous."

Caroline placed her hands on her hips. "Then what am I supposed to wear?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Rebekah snapped. "You've turned down all of my suggestions."

"Not all of them! I told you I'd consider the red one."

Rebekah glared at her silently for several seconds. Something had been bothering her, and she had been letting it build up instead of confronting it. Well, now was the time. "I can always tell when you're lying, Caroline."

Her eyes widened. "I'm—"

"I'm not talking about the dress. You've been lying to me and everyone else for weeks."

Caroline straightened up and crossed her arms. It was obvious what Rebekah was referring to, but she wasn't going to give up the truth that easily. As much as she hated lying, it was necessary in this case. If anyone found out about her and Klaus, it wouldn't be just her that got in trouble. She had to keep this secret for _him_.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied unconvincingly.

"Tell me, were you pretending to be my friend all this time just to get to my brother?"

Caroline frowned. Of course she wasn't. She would never do something like that. "You really think that low of me?"

"Don't mistake me for a fool, Caroline. I'm more perceptive than you give me credit for." Actually, Rebekah was more surprised that Nik thought he could keep something like this from her. She's as sharp as a tack, especially when it came to him. She was offended that he didn't think her bright enough to figure out this _thing_ that was going on between him and Caroline.

"Honestly, Rebekah, I have no idea what you're talking about. There's nothing going on between me and Klaus."

"Stop acting like you don't know exactly what I'm referring to! I see the way he lights up when you walk into the room, and I notice the way you two look at each other when you think no one's watching!"

Caroline glanced around to see if anyone was paying attention, but Rebekah's voice seemed to be low enough that no one noticed them. Even if someone had been listening in, she hoped they would have no idea who they were talking about.

"This isn't really safe to talk about here," Caroline whispered.

"Why, because you don't want to get in trouble? A teacher-student relationship, what a scandal."

"No, because I don't want to get your _brother_ in trouble."

That seemed to shut her up. They stared each other down, Rebekah glaring at her menacingly and Caroline looking back at her nervously.

"_Fine_," Rebekah said. "You two have fun with each other." She stomped away, the search for homecoming dresses completely forgotten.

-xxx-

Caroline ended up going to homecoming with Bonnie and Elena. They all decided that going to the dance with friends would be a hell of a lot more fun than if they went with a date. Caroline was surprised that Elena opted to go without either Salvatore, but she seemed to be having more fun when she wasn't worrying about her love life.

"So where's Kol tonight?" Elena asked Bonnie with a smirk.

Bonnie blushed. "He said he'd be here."

"Let's go find him. Care, are you coming?"

Caroline was just about to say yes when she a certain someone caught her eye from across the room. "You two go ahead. I'll catch up with you later."

"Where are you going?" Elena asked.

"I have to make sure everyone on the dance committee is doing what they're supposed to," she lied easily.

That seemed to be a good enough excuse. After Bonnie and Elena disappeared, Caroline crossed the room to go meet Klaus, trying to look professional and unaffected by how drop-dead gorgeous he looked in his suit.

"Good evening, Mr. Mikaelson."

He gave her a nod. "Nice to see you, Miss Forbes."

"How are you liking the dance?"

"It's nice. You did a great job."

"Thank you."

"I hear you're on the homecoming court, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good luck. I hope you win."

"Thank you, I hope so too. See you in class?"

"See you in class."

Caroline smiled politely and walked away. It was exhausting to have to carry on pointless chit-chat with him when she'd rather just talk like they normally do with each other, but there were eyes and ears everywhere. They couldn't afford to do something that might make someone else suspicious.

As she was heading toward the refreshment table, she spotted Rebekah. Caroline decided to approach her, hoping that she wasn't still upset from her outburst in the mall. If there were still hard feelings, she at least hoped that Rebekah would appreciate that despite their fight, she still chose to wear the red dress Rebekah had picked out and she said she'd consider. Maybe that could be her first step toward forgiveness, even though it was small.

Just as Caroline was approaching the table, Tyler appeared next to Rebekah, handing her a drink. They were smiling and laughing and seemed to be getting along great. It made Caroline want to punch something.

She stomped over there with determination, causing Rebekah's smile to fade as she saw who was heading in her direction.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Caroline asked.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Whatever you need to say to me, you can say in front of Tyler."

"Fine." She crossed her arms over her chest. "What the hell are you two doing here together?"

"What's the matter, Caroline?" Tyler asked haughtily. "Are you jealous?"

"Ew, no." She threw him a scathing look. "Rebekah, I thought you weren't even interested in him."

"People change, Caroline. Just like Tyler. He's nothing like you said he was."

"That's because you don't know him like I do! He may seem perfect right now, but—"

"Why don't you just mind your own business, Caroline?" Rebekah leaned forward and said low enough so not even Tyler could hear, "Stay out of my relationship with Tyler, and I'll stay out of your relationship with my brother." Then, more loudly, she added, "Come on, Tyler, let's go."

And then they were gone.

-xxx-

Caroline was sitting at a table by herself, twisting her bracelet around to keep herself occupied. She didn't know where her friends were, she couldn't spend time with Klaus, and Rebekah was God-knows-where with Tyler. She would usually socialize with everyone and try to persuade them to vote for her for homecoming queen, but she didn't even feel like doing that. She just wanted to sit here and wallow in her own self pity.

"Hey."

Caroline glanced up to see Elena sitting down next to her at the table with two drinks. She handed Caroline one of them.

"Hi," Caroline replied glumly. "Where's Bonnie?"

Elena sighed. "She went home. She said she was tired."

"But it's only 9 o'clock."

"She also saw that Kol brought a date," Elena explained.

_What a jerk_, Caroline thought. She'd have to talk to him about that later. "This night just keeps getting worse."

"What happened to you?"

"Rebekah's here with Tyler."

"_What?!_" Elena exclaimed. "I though she was interested in Matt?"

"She's just trying to upset me, I guess. She knows how much I don't like him."

"Did you two get in a fight or something?"

"Yeah, we had a...disagreement over which dress I should wear. It's stupid."

"Do you want me to talk to her for you? I'm not that close with her, but maybe it could help."

"No, it's fine. I just want to hear them announce the homecoming court and then we can leave. Maybe we'll get some take-out food and rent a movie to surprise Bonnie."

"That sounds a lot more fun than staying here any longer," Elena agreed.

Their conversation was cut off by the high-pitched sound of a microphone turning on. Caroline glanced over at the stage where Dana stood with a wide, excited smile. "Hi, everyone!" she greeted cheerfully. "I hope you're all having a great time!"

She was met with several shouts and cheers.

"It's that time you've all been waiting for. The votes are in for this year's homecoming king and queen!"

The students erupted into applause.

"Before I announce who they are, I'd just like to tell all the nominees that you're all winners!"

Caroline and Elena rolled their eyes simultaneously.

Dana opened the envelope in her hands and paused for effect before reading it. "The Mystic Falls High homecoming king is... Matt Donovan!"

Everyone cheered as Matt made his way up to the stage. A plastic crown was placed on his head, and although Caroline knew he probably hated wearing that thing, he hid it well. She clapped for him along with the rest of the students, feeling genuinely happy for him.

When the applause died down, Caroline felt her heart clench. This was it. She'd dreamed of winning homecoming queen ever since she was a little girl, and that dream was either about to become a reality, or she was about to see it slip through her fingers.

Elena was relaxed about the whole thing, not caring if she won or lost. That seemed so unfair. Why did Caroline have to care so much? Why couldn't she be nonchalant about it like Elena?

"And now for the Mystic Falls High homecoming queen..."

That little pause seemed to last a lifetime.

"Caroline Forbes!"

It took her a second to realize that she won. She actually won! She thought the only thing she would ever win would be Miss Mystic Falls, but she _she actually won homecoming queen!_

"Congratulations!" Elena squealed, hugging Caroline tightly.

She made her way up to the stage just like Matt had, smiling so much that it made her cheeks hurt.

"Congrats," Matt said to her as they were placing the other plastic crown on her head.

It was tradition for the homecoming king and queen to share a dance, so the crowd moved aside for her and Matt. One of his arms snaked around her waist and he took one of her hands with his own. She rested her free hand on his shoulder and chuckled at how uncomfortable he looked.

"I feel ridiculous," he whispered as they danced.

She laughed again. "I think you should wear that crown more often. It really suits you."

"Shut up," he told her playfully.

Everyone else eventually joined in, which Matt was obviously grateful for. He hated being the center of attention.

Caroline glanced over at the chaperones. She saw Alaric Saltzman talking to a few of the other teachers, but there was no sign of Klaus. She looked around the room but he wasn't there.

_What the hell?_

Just as her eyes darted to the door, she saw him leaving through it. _Ugh, seriously?_ She wanted him to stay, but if he was going to leave he should've at least waited to say goodbye.

"Hey, Matt, I have to go find Elena. I'll be right back."

Caroline walked as quickly as she could to the exit, which was pretty fast considering she was wearing stilettos. (Honestly, running in high heels should be an Olympic sport.) She caught Klaus halfway down the empty school hallway. "Klaus!"

He turned around and she very nearly smacked right into him.

"Were you leaving?" she asked as she steadied herself.

"There's no point in staying," he replied.

"There's, like, an hour left."

"Caroline, sweetheart, I cannot take you seriously when you're wearing that thing," he said, smirking at the crown on her head. She quickly took it off. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Why are you leaving in the middle of the dance?" There was no way she was letting him change the subject.

"I saw you win, and that's all that mattered."

"Yeah, but—" Suddenly, it dawned on her. "Did you leave because I had to dance with Matt?"

He looked offended. "Do you really think I'm that petty?"

"No, but you're not above jealousy, even if you're too proud to admit that that's what it is."

"It's not," he argued, although his face gave it all away.

"Matt and I are just friends."

"I know that."

"You don't have to be jealous."

"I'm not."

"It's okay if you are, though."

"_I'm not._"

"Are you sure?"

"_Caroline._"

Caroline put her hands up. "Okay, whatever you say."

Before she could walk away, Klaus grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him. "I just want you all to myself," he mumbled as he pressed his lips to hers. (Ha, she _knew_ it was jealousy.)

She kissed him back for a moment, letting her hands move up his arms as her tongue slid across his bottom lip. She pulled away after only a few seconds and sighed. Although talking about Rebekah was the last thing she wanted to do, it still had to be discussed.

"Your sister knows about us."

Klaus didn't answer.

"Apparently we weren't as careful as we thought," Caroline continued.

"How long has she known?"

"Not sure, but she brought it up while we were shopping and she was _really_ mad about it."

"Rebekah wouldn't dare tell anyone."

"I know. She doesn't want you to get in trouble." She tilted her head to the side. "She hasn't mentioned anything to you yet?"

"No, she hasn't, but it explains her recent change in attitude."

Caroline reached up and cupped his face with her hand. "It'll work out. She loves you."

Klaus stared at her for a minute, his eyes unfathomable. He grabbed the hand she was holding against his face and gently pulled it away. She let it drop by her side, not sure how to interpret his silence. Was he concerned? Was he angry? Was he indifferent?

Caroline straightened up and cleared her throat. "You should get back to the dance. I'll count to sixty and then follow behind you."

He nodded and stepped around her, heading back through the doors to the dance. Caroline took a deep breath and was about to count to sixty when she heard something that made her heart stop.

"Well, well, well. Someone's in trouble."

Tyler was leaning against some lockers smirking at her, and he had seen the entire thing.

-xxx-

**A/N: So how is Tyler going to handle this new information? ;) I hope you liked this chapter. It was so much fun to write :D I'll try to have the next chapter written quickly so I don't leave you guys with too big of a cliffhanger. I'm so sorry I've been updating this fic so slowly, but thank you all for being so patient! You're the best.  
**

**It would make my day if you left a review! All of your thoughts are important to me and I love hearing them! :D  
**

**tumblr: sexwithjomo**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Okay, so first of all, I owe you guys the biggest apology ever. I said I'd update once a week and it's been _two_ weeks since my last update. My muse decided to take a super long vacation or something. I'm so sorry about that. But I should be back to my regular updating schedule now! Thank you so much to everyone who stuck with me. And another big thank you to everyone who reviewed! You guys make my day and I wouldn't have gotten this far without your support! :D**

**Also, I'm sorry if any of you guys are big Tyler fans. I tried to make him more like who he was in season 1 because it worked better in the story. Sorry!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

-xxx-

Tyler headed down the hallway to get back to the dance, looking forward to seeing Rebekah again. He had just made a quick stop at the restroom to freshen up before making his big move of the night. If things kept going as smoothly as they were now, he had a good chance of getting lucky.

Just as he was turning the corner, he spotted Caroline. Well, he heard her before he actually saw her, which gave him enough time to hide between two sets of lockers. He could see her talking to someone, but their back was facing him so he couldn't make out who it was.

"_You don't have to be jealous,"_ she said to the mystery guy, the hint of a smile in her voice.

"_I'm not,"_ he replied.

Tyler froze. He knew that voice. An accent like that stuck out like a sore thumb around Mystic Falls. That was _Mr. Mikaelson_! What the hell was Caroline doing with Mr. Mikaelson?

"_It's okay if you are, though,"_ she continued.

"I'm not_."_

"Oh, my God," Tyler whispered to himself. Was this really happening right now? Did he just stumble upon what he's _thinking_ he just stumbled upon?

He could see Caroline put her hands up and begin turning away. _"Okay, whatever you say."_

Before she could get too far, Mr. Mikaelson grabbed her and spun her around to face him, pulling her close and whispering something to her as he touched his lips to hers.

Tyler's jaw dropped.

What.

The.

Hell.

"_You should get back to the dance. I'll count to sixty and then follow behind you," _Caroline said as she pulled away from his embrace.

Mr. Mikaelson stepped around her and began heading back to the dance like she suggested. Once he had disappeared and Caroline thought she was alone, a slow smile spread across Tyler's face.

_Gotcha_, he thought.

He walked out from between the two sets of lockers and quietly leaned against one of them, crossing his arms over his chest with a cocky smirk on his face.

"Well, well, well," he said, watching as Caroline tensed up at the sound of his voice. "Someone's in trouble."

Caroline turned around slowly, her eyes wide with terror. "Tyler," she said quietly. "How much of that did you see?"

Tyler pushed himself away from the lockers and took a couple of steps towards her. "I saw enough to know that you have some serious explaining to do." He shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to respond.

Caroline gulped. "It's not what you're thinking," she replied.

"Oh, on the contrary, I think it's _exactly_ what I'm thinking. So, tell me, how long have you been sleeping with our history teacher?"

"We're not sleeping together!" she retorted, and she couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks from embarrassment and anger.

"Then what _are_ you doing with him?"

"He's my... We're dating."

"Dating, huh? How long has it been going on?"

"It started _after_ you and I broke up, if that's what you're thinking."

"Are you doing this just to get a good grade?"

"Ew, no!" Caroline exclaimed. "I'm doing it because I like him, okay? Now can we stop with the twenty questions?"

Tyler ignored that last part and continued with his interrogation. "Does anyone else know?"

She hesitated before responding. "...Rebekah does."

Something seemed to click for Tyler. "So that's why you two are in a fight. She said it was because you couldn't agree on which dress to buy."

Caroline fought the small smile that tugged at her lips. That had been her excuse too.

Tyler took a deep breath. "Well, if anyone found out, you two would be in a lot of trouble... Mr. Mikaelson would lose his job...and I can't even _imagine_ what your mother would do..."

"Look, Tyler. You can be mad at me all you want, but leave Klaus out of it."

"Why should I do you any favors?"

Caroline was silent. _Because we're friends_ wouldn't work because the way Tyler saw it, they were anything but that. She was at a complete loss.

"Look, I won't say a word to anyone," he promised.

Caroline breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"On one condition," he continued.

She narrowed her eyes. "What condition?"

"I need you to do something for me."

"I'm listening..." she replied hesitantly.

"I'm one bad test grade away from failing world history and getting kicked off the football team," he explained.

"If you need help studying, I—"

Tyler chuckled. "Studying? No. I don't need you to _tutor_ me. I need you to steal the answers to next Friday's test. So on Monday, when you stay after class to have sex or whatever it is that you do—"

"We aren't sleeping together," Caroline grumbled quietly.

"—you're going to find out where he keeps the answers and you're going to take them and give them to me. Because there's no way I'm going to let the team go to playoffs without me."

"Why don't you just study like any normal person would?"

"Why would I? I have an advantage now."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "You mean you have someone to take advantage _of_." She scoffed. "I'm not doing it."

"Okay. Then I hope you're prepared for what's going to happen when I tell administration about the scandal that's happening right under their noses. I'm sure they'll be very interested in your little secret."

Caroline was silent. If she did this, it would keep Tyler's mouth shut. However, if she got caught, she'd lose Klaus's trust forever. But wasn't it worth the risk when the alternative meant that he'd lose his job? It was a lose-lose situation, but it was the only choice she had.

"Fine," she agreed. "I'll do it. But just know that I think you're a despicable human being."

Tyler smirked. "I can live with that."

She rolled her eyes again. "Do you promise not to tell anyone if I do this for you?"

He nodded. "Do you promise to have the answers for me before Friday?"

Now it was her turn to nod.

Tyler smiled. "Then it's a deal."

-xxx-

"And that's why, at that time, France was a prime example of an absolute monarchy—"

The shrill ringing of the bell interrupted the lecture and woke the students that had drifted off to sleep during class. Everyone gathered their things quickly and hurried out of the classroom as fast as they could, barely even catching what their homework was before they were out of earshot.

Caroline took a deep breath to calm her nerves as she approached Klaus, offering him a small smile.

"I have a question about the homework," she said, watching out of the corner of her eye as the last student left the room. As soon as they were gone, Caroline closed the door and turned back to Klaus, who was leaning against his desk with a smirk.

"Is this really about homework, love?"

"Yes," she replied unconvincingly.

He gave her a disapproving look, obviously seeing right through her.

"No," she admitted with a sigh.

He walked towards her and took her face in his hands, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb across her cheek. He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off by reaching up on her toes to kiss him.

He responded by dropping one of his hands to her waist and pressing the other one against the small of her back, pushing her closer to him. She placed her hands on the back of his neck and deepened the kiss, overcome with her sudden need to be close to him.

He was the one to pull away first, smirking at her as he tucked one of her blonde curls behind her ear. "What was that for?" he asked.

Caroline shrugged and forced another smile.

"Is something wrong?"

Damn his ability to read her like an open book!

She just shrugged again and tried to change the subject. "So how much is Friday's test going to count?"

"Are you worried about it? I can help you—"

"No, I don't need help, I just..."

At that moment, the door swung open and Caroline jumped back. Alaric stood in the doorway, but he didn't appear to have noticed how inappropriately close she and Klaus were just a few seconds ago.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but can I borrow you for a moment? It's about those copies I made earlier. I don't think they printed right..." Mr. Saltzman said, looking at Klaus.

"I'll be right there," he answered, and then he turned back to Caroline. "You should get to class, Miss Forbes."

She nodded and headed back to her desk to retrieve her books as Klaus followed Alaric out of the classroom. As soon as he was gone, Caroline walked back over to his desk as inconspicuously as she could.

"They've got to be here somewhere," she mumbled to herself as she opened drawers and rifled through files. She would glance up every few seconds to make sure the room was still empty. She had about two minutes, tops.

She began to feel extremely panicked when the test answers weren't turning up no matter where she looked. She shuffled through all the papers in all the drawers and even rummaged through the filing cabinet, hoping they'd be tucked away somewhere that would be easy enough to find. No such luck.

Caroline was just about ready to give up when she saw a a piece of paper with red ink written all over it poking out from a giant stack of papers sitting on top of his desk.

_Seriously? I search every drawer and every cabinet but I don't even think to look at what's on top of his desk?_ she scolded herself internally. Of course the test answers would be hidden in plain sight. Of course.

She snatched them up off the desk and shoved it in her bag, not even glancing at it. She didn't want to know the answers. Just because Tyler had stooped to a morally ambiguous level didn't mean she had to.

Caroline rushed out of there as quickly as she could before Klaus could return, trying to ignore the hollow feeling in her chest.

-xxx-

"Caroline," Mrs. Lockwood greeted with surprise as she swung the front door open. "I haven't seen you over here in a while." She gave her a friendly smile, although Caroline could see the suspicion in her eyes.

"Is Tyler here?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

"He should be up in his room. Why?"

"I need to see him."

Mrs. Lockwood hesitated before reluctantly opening the door wider and allowing Caroline to step through. "Right this way, dear." She gestured towards the grand staircase.

Caroline nodded at her and mumbled a "Thank you" as she ascended the stairs. She'd been in Tyler's room countless times before, but this was the only time she'd ever felt truly nervous about it.

When she reached his door, she took a deep breath before knocking. What if he decided this wasn't enough? What if he chose to blackmail her further? Or worse, what if he was lying about keeping it a secret and told everyone anyway?

"Come in," he called through the door.

Caroline composed herself quickly and marched into his room, slamming the test answers beside him on the desk he was working at. "There. Are you happy?"

He looked up at her, smiling. "He just handed them over?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed. "Yes, he handed over a cheat sheet for Friday's test because he just couldn't stand the thought of you losing your spot on the football team," she replied, her tone thick with sarcasm.

"What's with the attitude?"

"_What's with the attitude?_ Are you kidding me? You made me choose between betraying my boyfriend's trust and possibly losing him forever if he found out about it, or being directly responsible for him losing his job, and you have the nerve to ask me _what's with the attitude?!_"

Tyler picked up the test answers and waved them in the air. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm willing to share."

"Screw you!" Caroline practically shouted at him, turning away and storming out of his room, barely making it to her car before the tears started falling.

Maybe being with Klaus wasn't such a good idea. Maybe they were better off without each other.

_Or maybe I should just tell him the truth_, she considered.

Caroline turned up the car radio, trying to drown out her thoughts as she drove away from the Lockwood mansion. She didn't have to decide anything right now, although she knew that whatever she ended up doing wouldn't end well.

-xxx-

**A/N: Again, I'm sorry to anyone who really loves Tyler!**

**Thank you so much to everyone who's still with me even after the super long wait for this chapter. You guys are the best. And even though I _really_ don't deserve it, it would make my day if you reviewed! All your thoughts and opinions make me so happy and are extremely motivating! :D**

**Lots of love,**

**Morgan**

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	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: First of all, I just want to thank everyone who's still reading and still reviewing. It means _so_ much to me. There are literally no words to tell you how grateful I am. Second of all, have you guys seen the last episode of TVD?! Feels are everywhere!**

**P.S. I _should_ be doing my homework right now, but because I didn't get this chapter up yesterday like I promised on tumblr, I'm doing this instead. How's that for priorities?! Also, it's really late right now so this isn't as put together as I'd like. I'm sick, too, and that's affecting my writing more than I'd like.  
**

**Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter, even though it's a short one ( it's also a filler). Wow, I'm really terrible about that. I'm sorry! Hopefully I'll get better about making the chapters longer.  
**

-xxx-

She was going to tell him everything. As soon as class was over, she would tell him about Tyler finding out about them and she would tell the truth about stealing the test answers. It'd been a week, and she couldn't keep this secret buried for much longer. The guilt had been killing her.

The bell rang and she took a deep breath, ignoring the smug look Tyler gave her on his way out. Elena and Bonnie gave her a small wave as they left. They eventually stopped waiting up for her after a while since nine times out of ten she would either take forever gathering up her things or she would stay behind and ask about homework. Caroline normally would've expected them to be suspicious, but they just wrote it off as "the new and focused Caroline staying on top of her work."

Caroline approached Klaus slowly and tentatively. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied, stepping around the desk.

"I have to tell you something. It's about the test..."

"The one that you failed?"

Her eyes widened. "What?"

He sighed. "You weren't even close to a passing grade."

"How did that happen?"

He shrugged. "You have a poor studying strategy."

"_Thanks_," she responded sarcastically.

"I could help you."

She scoffed. "We'd get nothing done."

"I beg to differ. I can be professional."

"I beg to differ," she replied with a smirk, turning his own words around on him. Her smile faded quickly, however. She had a reason for needing to talk to him. "But that's not what I'm here for."

"What is it, love?" he asked, sensing the worry in her voice.

"It's Tyler."

He nodded. "I think I know what this is about."

"You do?" she asked incredulously.

"He stole test answers from me."

She narrowed her eyes. "What makes you think that?"

"He's failed every test that I've given this semester except the one that had its answer sheet taken. All signs point to him being the culprit."

Caroline shook her head. "No, I don't think that's it."

Klaus's eyes hardened and he was silent for a moment. "What are you not telling me?"

She sighed and stared at the ground. "At homecoming...Tyler saw us together. He threatened to tell everyone about it unless I took the test answers for him."

He remained calm, and for some reason that made her even more nervous. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to be mad..."

"Well of course I'm going to be angry!" He began raising his voice. "He blackmailed you!"

"It doesn't matter anymore because it's done! He's gotten what he wanted and you don't have to worry about losing your job!"

"I don't care about this bloody job! How dare he think he can use this against you?" He was going to hunt down the Lockwood boy and make him wish he had kept his sorry little mouth shut, but as soon as he tried to leave, Caroline gently placed her hands on his chest to keep him from going anywhere.

"Whatever you're about to do, _don't_," she warned.

He stared down at her into her pleading blue eyes, but the urge to go after Tyler was still there. His mouth was set in a grim line and he tensed up, trying to calm himself down for her sake.

"Please," she added.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You should've told me," he said.

"I'm sorry. But this is the reaction I was trying to avoid."

Well, he had never been known for being in control of his temper. He acted impulsively, especially when he was angry. It wasn't one of his most positive attributes.

Caroline could tell that he was still cross, so she tried distracting him. "Maybe I'll take you up on that offer you made earlier. I could use some extra help in the academic department."

He looked at her for a second before smiling slyly. "No, you were right. We wouldn't get anything done."

Taking her waist with one hand and placing the other on the back of her neck, he captured her lips with his, catching her by surprise. She responded enthusiastically, grasping his shoulders with both hands and pressing her body closer to his, grateful that things were still good between them, although she was sure he hadn't forgotten about Tyler.

-xxx-

Of course Klaus hadn't forgotten about Tyler. As much as he wanted to hurt him for blackmailing Caroline, she had practically begged him not to, so he wouldn't. That didn't mean he couldn't instill some fear in him, however.

Tyler was heading for the locker room after football practice, completely unaware that he was being followed. Klaus waited until he was alone before cornering him.

Tyler stuffed his shoulder pads into his locker and slammed it closed, jumping back when he saw Mr. Mikaelson waiting for him on the other side.

"Whoa!" he yelled in surprise.

"Hello, Tyler."

"What are you doing here?"

Klaus narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the lockers. "Now is that any way to greet me?"

Tyler rolled his eyes. "Fine, hi. Now tell me what the hell you want."

Klaus pushed himself off of the lockers and took a few intimidating steps towards him, his expression dark. "I think you know why I'm here."

Tyler remained silent.

"Are you really so thick as to believe that I would let you get away with threatening Caroline?"

"Look, I promised to keep your dirty little secret, so don't worry about it."

"I'm not sure you understand the gravity of the situation. You stole from me."

"Technically, _she_ stole from you."

"Yes, under your demand."

"So what are you gonna do about it? Fail me? Would you really risk losing your job to protect some stupid, neurotic—"

He didn't have a chance to finish his sentence before Klaus grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and slammed him against the lockers, effectively shutting him up.

"Don't _ever_ talk about her like that," Klaus practically growled.

Tyler's eyes widened and his mouth fell open, but he was too shocked—and terrified, although he would never admit it—to say anything.

When Klaus eventually let him go, he stepped back and straightened his jacket out. "Now here's what is going to happen," he began. "You can keep your A, as long as you don't bother Caroline again. Don't talk to her, don't go near her, don't even _look_ at her."

Tyler scoffed. "You'll let me keep the grade anyway because you don't want to lose your job."

"I don't give a damn about my job."

"I don't believe you."

"Fine. Don't, if you're that willing to risk your spot on the football team."

Tyler didn't say anything, which caused Klaus to smirk.

"That's what I thought." He began to leave, but he turned back around to add something before he forgot. "This is the third time you've hurt Caroline. That day in class, at the football game, and now this. I wouldn't try for a fourth."

And with that, he was gone, leaving Tyler speechless and without any leverage.

-xxx-

At cheerleading practice that day, Caroline tried once again to make amends with Rebekah, although she was having none of it. During their warm-up stretches, Caroline stood next to her and began by making friendly conversation, which Rebekah usually ignored, but not today.

"Hey, Rebekah," Caroline said, earning and eye roll from the other blonde. "Are you ready for the game on Friday?"

"Caroline, do yourself a favor and just stop talking."

Caroline straightened up and put her hands on her hips. "You know, I'm getting sick of you shutting me out every time I try to be nice to you. I don't know how many times I can tell you that I'm sorry for keeping that kind of secret, but I was doing it to protect your brother. And if you cared about him at all, you'd accept that. But _this?_ Going after Tyler, being rude to me when you're not giving me the silent treatment...it's childish. If you don't want to be friends, fine. But at least have the decency to stop doing whatever _this_ is."

Rebekah stopped stretching and faced her. "You lied to me for _weeks_. You're still lying to Bonnie and Elena! Apologizing a thousand times doesn't make me want to forgive you any faster, and it doesn't make me childish. If anything, _you're_ the one who's acting childish by making a fuss when I don't forgive you as quick as you like."

"I was doing it to protect _him!_"

"Yes, I know, I heard it the first twelve times you told me!"

"Then why are you mad?"

"Because you didn't tell me! Did you really think I would turn my own brother in? Do you honestly think that low of me?"

"Of course not," Caroline replied.

Rebekah rolled her eyes and turned back to what she was doing, obviously not interested in continuing the conversation.

Caroline sighed and went back to stretching, too. Rebekah was right. She should've been honest with her, and now she was doing the same thing with Bonnie and Elena. They wouldn't betray her and turn her in if she told them. They may be angry at first, but not as angry as they'd be if she kept it a secret for too long.

She would tell them eventually.

-xxx-

**A/N: Short chapter, long wait, not enough Klaroline, I know, I know. I'm really sorry :( BUT, the lack of interaction between Klaroline will _definitely_ be made up for in the next chapter!  
**

**So the consequences of Caroline telling the truth didn't seem too bad, but don't worry, dear readers. Actually, worry a little bit because the worst is yet to come! Things are about to get crazy in Mystic Falls! And again, I'm sorry to anyone who likes Tyler and hates seeing him as the antagonist.**

**As always, thank you for reading. Your thoughts, suggestions, predictions, opinions, etc. keep me motivated, so make sure you leave a review! Feedback helps me determine whether you guys are still liking it or if you aren't! Let me know :)**

**Much love,**

**Morgan**

**tumblr: sexwithjomo**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! Your encouragement is the reason I'm still writing this :)**

**Also, I'm so sorry about the wait (again). I was super sick for some time and once I got better I had a crapload of make up work to do for my classes, and I've also been lacking inspiration because [SPOILER] you-know-who's death on TVD recently just tore my heart to pieces and I didn't really feel up to writing happy Klaroline things for a while after that. I also keep doubting my writing and every time I tried to work on this story, I just gave up after a paragraph. But I'm back now and if you're still reading and reviewing (there aren't that many of you nowadays it seems like, probably thanks to my horrible updating schedule), I can't thank you enough!**

**As promised, there's a lot of Klaroline in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it :D**

-xxx-

Caroline's birthday was everyone's favorite day of the year. That had been true ever since she claimed it to be so when she was ten. When she was younger, she would always look forward to the extravagant gifts her father gave her, like the brand new Dodge Charger she got for her sixteenth birthday for example. She supposed that he went out of his way to buy her gifts like that because he felt bad about leaving her and her mom and he hoped a new car would fill the void he left when he decided to skip out on them. Of course it never did, no matter how important he made her feel on her birthday.

This year, Caroline's birthday felt different somehow. Her morning was normal; Liz greeted her with a birthday cupcake—red velvet, her favorite—like she usually did, and told her that she'd be working late tonight. But when Caroline got to school, her locker was completely bare, which was weird because it was tradition that she, Elena, and Bonnie would decorate each other's lockers in balloons and cards on their birthdays. It wasn't a big deal if they decided to skip that this year, but for some reason she felt...well, disappointed.

"Hey, Caroline," Bonnie said, walking up to her.

Caroline forced a smile, shutting her locker and turning to face Bonnie. "Hi."

"Elena and I were thinking about maybe having a girls' night this weekend."

"This weekend?" she asked, incredulous. "Today doesn't seem like a better time?"

Bonnie's eyebrows knit in confusion. "Today? Why today?"

Caroline's heart sank. "Did you seriously forget?"

"Forget what? Caroline, are you okay?"

"I can't believe this."

"Care, what's going on?"

Caroline just shook her head, the famous Molly Ringwald line running through her head: _"They fucking forgot my birthday."_

"Nothing," she answered. "Absolutely nothing is happening today."

-xxx-

"If anyone were going to forget my birthday, it would be my mom. But even she remembered! Bonnie acted like she had no idea what I was talking about. My own best friends forget my freaking birthday," Caroline ranted as she paced back and forth in front of Mr. Mikaelson's desk.

She glanced over at him, but he was busy poring over paperwork.

She threw her hands up in exasperation. "Great. You're not even listening to me."

"I'm listening," he replied, setting his pen down and leaning back in his chair. "But I don't understand why you care so much about these people who obviously matter more to you than you do to them."

Caroline narrowed her eyes. "Ouch," she stated.

Klaus sighed and stood up, moving around the desk. "They're not worth your time." He placed his hands gently on either side of her face.

"But they're my best friends."

He was silent for a few moments. "Would it make you feel better if I took you out to dinner tonight?"

"We can't. Too many prying eyes."

"Not if the restaurant isn't in Mystic Falls."

Caroline's eyes lit up. "You mean we could go on a _real_ date?"

He nodded. "We can even sit on the table to eat like in _Sixteen Candles._"

"You're not funny," she said, although she couldn't help but laugh.

He leaned forward and kissed her lightly. "I'll pick you up at seven."

-xxx-

Time flies when you're having fun, and throughout the day, Caroline most definitely was not having fun. She avoided Bonnie and Elena who _still_ hadn't realized what today was. Seven o'clock couldn't come quickly enough.

Caroline's mother wasn't going to be home until late that night, which meant she wouldn't have to worry about her seeing Klaus when he showed up. She took her time getting ready, although she wasn't sure what to wear since she had absolutely no idea where they were going.

She searched through her closet for several minutes before getting frustrated and whipping out her phone.

_Formal or casual?_

His response was quick.

_Formal._

So he was taking her to some kind of swanky, fine dining establishment, then.

She decided to wear her favorite blue dress with her best heels. Hopefully it wouldn't be _too_ fancy. She only added some blush and lip gloss and perfected her golden curls to finish up.

When the doorbell rang, her heart started fluttering like it usually did on a first date. Although it technically wasn't their first date, was it? There was the time when he took her home from the football game and kissed her in his car, and then there was the time when she had to take _him_ home from the Grill because he was drunk off his ass, and then there were the times at school when they could be alone, like in the library or after class.

Actually, now that she thought about it, she got butterflies every time she saw him, like every time they were together was a first date. The thought made her smile, no matter how mushy it was.

When Caroline opened the door and saw him standing there in a suit, she broke out into a bright smile. God, he looked good in a tie.

"Good evening, love." He looked her up and down. "You look ravishing."

Heat flooded her cheeks as he took her hand and led her to the car.

"Where are we going?"

"An Italian restaurant in the next town over that Elijah recommended."

"Sounds fancy."

He glanced over at her and smirked. "It wins awards."

The next town over wasn't actually that far, which really wasn't surprising considering how small Mystic Falls was. They got to the restaurant sooner than she had expected.

"Wow," Caroline commented when they stepped inside. This place wasn't anything like the Grill. There were crystal chandeliers, tables covered in fancy white tablecloths, and although the lighting was dim, the flowers in the center of each table were still bright enough to catch her attention.

Klaus dropped Caroline's hand and approached the hostess. "Mikaelson, party of two."

The hostess smiled brightly. "Right this way."

She grabbed two menus and led them to a table in the back. "Your server will be right with you," she told them before walking away.

Caroline perused the menu, her jaw dropping when she saw the price. He _really_ went out of his way to make her birthday dinner special.

"So Elijah's been here before?" she asked after a moment.

"He will occasionally come here with the firm," Klaus answered.

"I don't think I've officially met him yet."

"Yes, well that's not surprising. He spends most of his time working."

Caroline nodded in understanding. Her mother was the same way, which was why she was able to go to dinner tonight without worrying about her questioning where she was and who she was with. Imagine how awkward it would be if her mom caught her getting all dressed up to go to a fancy restaurant on a date with her _teacher_.

"Does Elijah...?" Caroline trailed off, knowing he would understand what she was asking.

"Yes," he answered. "He knows who you are and he knows that we're together."

"And he doesn't have a problem with it?"

"He has his reservations, of course, but he respects my decisions."

Caroline sighed. "That's more than I can say for Rebekah."

"Don't worry about her, she's just being a brat."

"No, she has every reason to be mad at me. I mean, if someone that I thought was my friend didn't think I was trustworthy enough to share that kind of information with, I'd be mad too." Caroline took a deep breath. "I think I should tell Elena and Bonnie."

She glanced up to gauge Klaus's reaction, but his expression was unreadable.

"Is that okay?" she asked, biting her lip.

"Do you really think that telling them is a good idea?"

"They're my best friends. We tell each other _everything_."

"Well, your so-called 'best friends' didn't even remember your birthday, or have you already forgotten that fact?" It came out more harshly than he probably intended.

Caroline was quiet, looking down at her lap and playing with the hem of her skirt.

Klaus sighed and leaned forward. "What I meant was, you don't owe them any favors. You don't _have_ to tell them."

"I know."

They were silent for a few moments after that, neither of them wanting to say more on the topic. Before Caroline could change the subject, however, their server approached their table with a big (and obviously forced) smile plastered on her face.

"Hi, my name is Kim and I'll be your server this evening. Can I interest you in any of our fine wines?" She placed a small list of wines on the table.

"We'll take a bottle of Chardonnay," Klaus ordered for them.

"And what would you like to eat?"

He ordered something in Italian that sounded so alluring in his accent that Caroline didn't even care that she didn't understand what it meant. She wished that the language would just roll off her tongue like it seemed to for him, but when she ordered, she completely butchered the name, causing him to smirk at her like the smug bastard he is.

"Don't start," she warned after their server left. "I took French in school, not Italian."

His smirk grew wider and he held up his hands in defense. "I didn't say anything."

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. "By the way, ordering alcohol for someone my age is technically against the law," she joked. "If this were Mystic Falls, I'd probably be a high school cautionary tale at the next town meeting." _And not just for the underage drinking_, she thought to herself.

"Luckily the high school part's nearly over, then," he said, his voice low. He meant it lightheartedly, but the way his blue eyes burned into hers intensely made her heart skip a beat.

Dinner grew less and less tense as their small argument from earlier was forgotten. The restaurant itself was great and the food was even better. And thankfully, he hadn't told the staff that it was her birthday, so she didn't have to suffer the embarrassment of having a random group of people gathered around her singing "Happy Birthday."

As they were leaving, Caroline smiled at the hostess that had seated them and politely told her, "Good night."

"Have a good night, Mrs. Mikaelson," she returned, remembering the name under which she had a reservation.

Caroline's cheeks turned crimson and she glanced up at Klaus whose expression was unfathomable.

The car ride back was mostly silent, at least until they had returned to Caroline's house.

"Thank you," she said, looking over at him.

He turned to her. "You're welcome. Happy birthday, sweetheart."

Caroline glanced at the clock on the dashboard. "My mom won't be home for three more hours, if you wanted to come inside..."

He gazed at her the way he had in the restaurant earlier, only this time instead of feeling her heart flutter, she felt a burning desire in her core, the electricity spreading from her fingertips to her toes.

She was the one that leaned in first, very gently touching her lips to his. Before she could even contemplate pulling away, one of his hands moved to the back of her head, tangling in her blonde curls as he brought her closer to him.

She responded just as enthusiastically, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck and letting him explore her mouth with his own, tilting her head to the side to allow him better access. When they finally did break apart for air, his soft lips moved down her jaw, her neck, and back up again. She sighed quietly while his hands slid down her sides and held onto her waist.

She'd always found it difficult to kiss someone in a sports car, but they were managing so far.

She pushed herself backwards until her back was against the window, and he moved over the center console until he was hovering over her. It wasn't exactly roomy or comfortable, but all that was forgotten when she felt his hands toying with the hem of her skirt, very slowly pushing it upwards while he captured her lips in his again.

Her skin felt as if it were on fire. Her legs were almost completely bare and his lips were traveling from her mouth down to her neck again.

"Wait," she gasped.

He stopped.

"We can't do this in a car."

"Then let's go inside," he suggested, leaning back slightly.

He separated himself from her and got out of the car, quickly coming around to her side to open the passenger door for her. He offered her his hand and she took it, following him to the front door of her house.

She fumbled with her key, her nerves making her hands shake slightly. Once she had the door open, she pulled him inside and kicked the door shut. She didn't even have time to turn the lights on before he had her pressed up against the wall, his lips pressed against hers and his hands on her waist. His kisses were more passionate this time, now that they had more room and didn't have to be as careful as when they were in the car. She pushed his jacket off and he tossed it to the side before he—

"SURPRISE!"

All the lights in her living room came on and they froze where they were.

"You didn't really think we could forget your birthday, did—" Elena began, but she stopped once she realized what she was looking at.

"Oh," Bonnie said quietly.

Klaus moved away from Caroline, and both Elena and Bonnie's eyes grew wide as they saw who it was that Caroline had been with.

_Oh, my God,_ was the only coherent thought Caroline could form.

-xxx-

**A/N: Awkward. Well, Caroline doesn't have to worry about telling them anymore, right? **

**High fives to anyone who recognized my little nod to Kim who was a werewolf earlier this season. I liked her for, like, five minutes when she sassed Tyler, so I added her in because why not?**

**Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter :) Let me know what you think! Tell me your opinions, suggestions, theories, etc. in the review box below! Your feedback keeps me motivated, and your reviews inspire me to actually write instead of staring at a blank word document for three weeks like I did before I finally got this fic updated. (I'm really, truly sorry about that, by the way.)  
**

**As always, Thank you for reading!**

**-Morgan**

**Also, if you want to follow my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad blog, my tumblr URL is sexwithjomo**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Thank you all _so_ much for taking the time to read and review! Every single one of your reviews just made me so happy and I'm so glad you guys are still interested in this story and are still sticking with it. I can't thank you enough!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter and all the awkwardness in it :)**

-xxx-

Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, and Klaus all stood in the living room staring at each other silently for several minutes until Elena spoke.

"Um... Hi, Mr. Mikaelson..." she said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably.

Caroline cleared her throat and straightened out her dress, which had become wrinkled from her "moment" with Klaus earlier before they got interrupted. "Um, well, I know what this looks like. But before you freak out, let me explain."

Elena and Bonnie looked at her expectantly while she tried to come up with an explanation, but she was drawing a blank. How exactly _does_ one go about explaining this kind of thing? And why did they have to catch them in the most controversial position?

Bonnie decided to speak once it was clear that Caroline didn't know what to say. "How long has this been going on?"

Caroline glanced over at Klaus, whose expression was hard. "A few months," she answered.

"And what exactly is _this?_" Elena chimed in, gesturing toward the both of them to indicate which _"this"_ she was talking about.

"We're together," Caroline answered. "Not _together_ in the way that you're thinking. None of what was going to happen tonight has ever happened before. I was going to tell you, but..." she trailed off, realizing that she was rambling.

"Who else knows?" Bonnie asked.

"Just you guys, Klaus's brother Elijah, and...Rebekah."

"Is that why you two have been fighting?" Elena asked.

Caroline nodded slowly, watching her friends' faces closely as they took it all in.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said. "It's not that I don't trust you guys, it's just—"

"The less people knew, the better," Elena finished, her eyes soft and full of understanding. "I get it."

"You do?" Caroline asked incredulously.

"Well sure. I mean, I wouldn't have told anybody either."

"You didn't want him to lose his job," Bonnie added. "We get it."

"So...you aren't going to tell anyone?"

"Of course not," Elena reassured her.

Caroline smiled and sighed with relief. "Thank you." She looked at Klaus again, who still hadn't said a word.

Elena and Bonnie glanced at each other, both of them still feeling a tad awkward. "Maybe we should go..." Bonnie said.

"No, stay!" Caroline insisted. "You guys had this whole thing planned out already."

"We can have a girls' night some other time, if you wanted to spend time with, um..." Elena gestured to Klaus.

"We don't mind," Caroline said. She turned to Klaus and narrowed her eyes. "_Do we?_"

"I should probably go home," he said, earning a glare from Caroline. "Happy birthday, sweetheart." He turned around and walked out the door, not even bothering to kiss her goodbye.

Before Caroline even had time to think, '_What the hell just happened'_, Elena spoke up. "Is Kol the only person in his family that doesn't know about this?"

"He would've told me if he knew," Bonnie responded.

Caroline grinned. "So you two are on good terms again?"

Bonnie smiled and rolled her eyes. "Don't start."

"Tell me everything," Caroline demanded as she led them to the living room.

"There's not much to say. We're friends. That's it."

Now it was Caroline's turn to roll her eyes. "Oh, come on, Bonnie. Anybody with eyes can see that he's crazy about you."

Bonnie, anxious to change the topic from her and Kol's relationship, tried shifting the conversation over to Caroline. "Well what about you and Klaus? I didn't see that one coming."

Caroline took a deep breath. "I'm nowhere near drunk enough for this conversation."

"Good thing we brought this," Elena said, waving a bottle of tequila in front of her.

Caroline's eyes lit up. She missed this...being able to talk to her friends openly without having to worry about letting any secrets slip. Finally, after so many months, she felt as if things were starting to get back to normal. Well, as normal as they could be in her kind of situation.

-xxx-

"Back from your date with Caroline?" Rebekah asked as soon as Klaus walked in the house, her tone filled with bitterness. She was sitting on the living room couch, painting her nails while Kol was sprawled on the couch across from her, flipping channels on the television.

"His date with _whom?!_" Kol exclaimed, his eyes alight with curiosity and surprise as he turned his attention from _The Walking Dead_ to the conversation happening in front of him.

"Nik didn't tell you he was involved with her?"

"Caroline, huh?" Kol grinned. "Bonnie's best mate?"

"That would be the one," Rebekah answered, rolling her eyes.

So it was _that_ Caroline. Kol stood up and crossed the room. "A student, then. How...unconventional."

"As much as I'd love to have this conversation with the two of you, it really isn't any of your business," Klaus said.

Kol completely ignored him. "And you took her out in public?"

"He took her to a restaurant in the next town over for her birthday," Rebekah explained.

Kol laughed and clapped Klaus on the shoulder. "At least now she's legal."

Klaus glared at his brother before stepping around him and heading for the art studio.

"Oh, don't be such a grouch, Nik!" Kol called to him as he left the room. He turned to Rebekah with a teasing smile on his face. "Was it something I said?"

-xxx-

Rebekah found him in his art studio, painting what looked like a snowflake, but probably had some sort of deep metaphorical resonance that she had no interest in deciphering.

"Have you come to continue ridiculing my choices?" he asked, not taking his focus off of his work.

She sighed. "I'm sorry about earlier."

He turned around to face her, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You never apologize."

"Yes, well, there's a first for everything." She took a deep breath. "I'm worried about you, Nik. I don't want to see you lose everything you've worked towards just for some girl."

Although Klaus would never express his emotions aloud, the only thought that ran through his mind was that Caroline wasn't "just some girl." She was much more than that to him. He didn't know if it was love (never having truly felt the emotion before made it hard for him to identify it), but what he felt towards her was strong.

"I know what I'm doing."

"Do you? Because it seems to me like you have absolutely _no_ idea what you're doing. The Nik _I_ know wouldn't have been so foolish as to fall for someone that could potentially ruin him."

Klaus set down his paintbrush and approached his sister, glaring at her. "I knew what I was doing when I decided to be with Caroline. It was _my_ decision, and I don't need you worrying about it because that won't do either of us any good."

Rebekah was silent.

"And while we're on the topic, why don't you go make amends with Caroline? This childish argument has gone on long enough, and if there's anyone you should be angry with, it me. Not her."

Rebekah took a single step towards him. "If you want me to respect your decision to be with her, then you should respect my decision to be angry about it," she retorted.

Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away.

-xxx-

"This whole time I was worried about them feeling awkward about it or not being able to handle it, and they were okay with the whole thing! I don't know why I didn't tell them sooner. Now if only I could get Rebekah to forgive me..." Caroline sighed.

"She'll come around soon enough," Klaus said.

They were in his classroom at the end of the day while he was doing paperwork and she was pacing in front of his desk, rambling on about how accepting her friends have been of their situation.

"I hope so."

Suddenly, the door began to creek open. Caroline's eyes widened and she quickly took a seat in the nearest desk.

"Hi, Mr. Mikaelson. I'm Liz Forbes, Caroline's mother, and—"

She stopped talking when her eyes fell on her daughter, who was sitting at one of the desks with an expression of shock on her face.

"Caroline, honey, what are you doing here?"

"Detention," she answered quickly, saying the first reason that came to mind. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to Mr. Mikaelson here about several things."

"What kinds of things?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

Klaus stood up and gestured toward the door. "Caroline, you may go."

She looked between him and her mother before grabbing her bag and leaving the room, thoroughly confused.

"Have a seat, Mrs. Forbes," Klaus insisted, taking a seat himself. She did as he said. "What brings you here?"

"Caroline has seemed more distant than usual lately. It feels like she's been keeping something from me. I don't get to see her that often and I'm cut off from her social life, so I was wondering if you've seen or heard anything that could clue me in on what's going on with her?"

He cleared his throat. "Nothing out of the ordinary has been happening as far as I can tell."

_Lie._

"Are you sure?"

"If I knew, I would tell you."

_More lies._

Liz sighed defeatedly and leaned back in her chair.

"I wish I could be more helpful," he said.

"It's not your fault. I just wish she would be more open with me about things. I feel so alienated from her all the time."

He nodded, not exactly sure what to say, especially since he knew exactly what it was that Caroline was keeping from her.

-xxx-

"Your mother is worried about you. She wants to know if you're hiding anything from her," Klaus told her through the phone.

Caroline chuckled. "That's a funny story, actually. I happen to be harboring a secret about my teacher."

"What about him?"

"He's dating a student."

"Sounds familiar."

She laughed, but just then her mother came through the door.

"I have to go," she said before quickly hanging up and putting her phone away. "Hi, Mom. How was your talk with Mr. Mikaelson?"

"Good. He seems like a very charming man."

"What did you guys talk about?"

"Grades."

"Really?"

"Mm-hm."

That was all that was said on the topic, which was actually a relief because Caroline had had enough awkward moments to last a lifetime.

-xxx-

**A/N: So that was short and kind of a filler, but I wanted to give you guys a chapter soon instead of making you wait as long as you had to before. And I have big things planned for the coming chapters, so prepare yourselves for angst! **

**Thank you so much for reading! Your reviews would be much appreciated and very motivating, so leave me your thoughts, opinions, suggestions, theories, etc. :D**

**Lots of love,**

**Morgan**

**tumblr: sexwithjomo**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: First, I'd like to apologize for the ridiculously long wait. I don't even have a good enough excuse. I'm just so sorry and I really hope I can get back into the swing of things so it doesn't happen again. Always remember that I'm never going to give up on this fic though! It will never be abandoned. I'm definitely going to see it through and complete it for you guys :)**

**Also, thank all of you for your AMAZING reviews and for your encouragement! You all are the best readers in the whole universe. I'm sure of it. Thank you for your patience and support. You're the best!**

-xxx-

Things were going...well. That was weird. Caroline was so used to having something be wrong that when things finally started going right, the feeling was foreign. There was, of course, Rebekah being mad at her, but lately even that didn't seem as big of a deal because Rebekah seemed to be (slowly but surely) coming around.

Tyler hadn't been a problem at all. Caroline was able to talk freely with her friends about her relationship without feeling judged. Things with Klaus were going as perfectly as they could, despite the fact that they weren't able to see each other that often what with midterms approaching and everyone being busy with studying and preparations.

Caroline was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. What terrible thing was bound to happen to halt her happiness? No one was allowed to be this happy for this long.

Oh, well. Whatever happens would happen. There was no point in worrying about it now when she should be enjoying herself and being optimistic. It was senior year for crying out loud! She had the perfect boyfriend, the perfect friends, and for once she had the perfect grades.

Elena felt differently, however. As someone who was constantly worrying about her loved ones, it was only natural that she worry for her best friend. Caroline was putting herself in a dangerous position by being with Klaus, and although all Elena wanted was for her to be happy, she couldn't help but be concerned.

That's why, after class, she decided to talk to Klaus.

Once the bell rang and the students filed out of the classroom, Klaus erased the chalkboard and was about to begin working on exam preparations when he heard the door close and someone's footsteps hesitantly approaching his desk.

Without glancing up from his work, he said, "Sweetheart, as much as I'd like to spend time with you, exams are coming up and I'm actually very busy—"

It was at that moment that he decided to look up, and standing in front of him was not his Caroline, but her raven haired friend.

"Ms. Gilbert," he greeted her.

"Is now not a good time?" Elena asked. "I can come back later if you—"

"What is it you need?"

She took a measured breath. "I have to talk to you about Caroline."

"I'm listening."

"What exactly are your intentions with her?"

He narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Well I think we can both agree that the circumstances are...unusual. I just want to make sure she isn't making a mistake."

"Even if she were, I don't believe she'd appreciate you meddling."

Elena's eyes grew dark. "Caroline and I have been best friends since the first grade, and if you think I'm going to just sit idly by and watch as she makes what could be the biggest mistake of her life, then you're wrong."

Klaus stood up so that he was looking down at her. Like hell he was going to let this girl talk to him this way. "What gives you the right to come into my classroom and accuse me of not having good intentions when it comes to Caroline?"

"It wasn't an accusation, _Klaus_." Elena ignored the furious look on his face at her use of his first name. "You and Caroline may be too wrapped up in your little bubble of bliss to see how dangerous your relationship is, but I'm not. The reality is that the odds of not getting caught are slim, and when that happens, it's not just you who's going to have to pay the price. Caroline will suffer too. I just want to make sure you understand what could happen if you get too invested. If she gets in trouble and her future is affected, or if she gets her heart broken and I see even a single tear fall from her face, you won't be hearing the last of me."

He rolled his eyes. "My intentions, Elena Gilbert, are not to hurt her. And as someone of my authority, I require a certain amount of respect. So if you ever speak to me again the way you just did, then you won't be hearing the last of _me_," he said, his voice dark and his eyes dangerous.

Elena didn't flinch under his glare. "I'm not talking to _Mr. Mikaelson_. I'm talking to my best friend's boyfriend."

He smirked. "Well you've made your point. Now leave."

Elena glared at him, hitched her bag up on her shoulder, and turned on her heel, heading for the door and leaving him standing behind his desk, their conversation replaying in his head.

Stupid girl. Of course he would never intentionally hurt Caroline or get her in trouble. What on earth would lead her to believe that?

But something she said stuck out in his mind.

_The reality is that the odds of not getting caught are slim, and when that happens, it's not just you who's going to have to pay the price. Caroline will suffer too._

Although he would never admit it, deep down he knew she was right. Maybe they were making a mistake. Klaus was impulsive, and he rarely did anything with someone other than himself in mind, but this time was different. This time it wasn't just his happiness and future that was at stake. It was also Caroline's.

He made a promise to her at the beginning of their relationship that he would stop switching back and forth from wanting to be with her one day to not wanting to be with her the next. He gave her his word that he was giving in totally and completely, and that there would be no changing his mind.

However, in the interest of making sure her reputation and her future weren't going to be compromised, he would have to do something he rarely ever did. He would have to take the high road. But to do so would mean breaking the promise he made to her.

-xxx-

Caroline had just sat down to watch the new episode of _Dancing With the Stars _when she got the message.

_We need to talk._

There it was. The other shoe had dropped. Something was wrong.

_I'm on my way,_ she sent back, standing up to pull on some shoes and a coat and grab her car keys. They rarely ever went to each other's houses unless there was an emergency—with the exception of her birthday dinner—for fear that someone might see them. It was an unlikely possibility, but it was a possibility nonetheless.

For the entire fifteen minutes it took for her to drive to his house, all she thought about was what could possibly be wrong. A thousand different possibilities ran through her mind. Did Tyler do something? Did someone else find out that wasn't supposed to?

By the time she pulled into the Mikaelson's long driveway and walked up to his front door, her heart was beating rapidly and her breathing was heavy. She knocked three times, her hands shaking nervously.

Klaus was the one to open the door, and she could tell by the look on his face that something was indeed very wrong.

"What happened?" Caroline asked as she stepped inside, her eyes full of concern.

Klaus closed the door behind her and was about to open his mouth to say something when Kol cut him off.

"Caroline!" he greeted her enthusiastically as he entered the room. "Fancy meeting you here. Did Nik invite you, or did Bekah?"

Klaus glared at his little brother. "I did, Kol."

"Oh right, I forgot. You and Rebekah are still fighting. If it makes you feel any better, I think she's starting to come around. I mean—"

"Do you mind?" Klaus interrupted. "We're in the middle of something."

Kol smirked. "Trouble in paradise? I see. I'll leave you two to your lover's quarrel then." He turned around to leave the room.

"Should we go somewhere more private?" Caroline suggested.

Klaus nodded and headed in the direction of his bedroom, Caroline following behind him. Once they were alone, Caroline spoke.

"Okay, I'm officially worried. What's wrong?"

"Your friend Elena spoke with me today."

Caroline's eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. "Elena? Why?"

"She wanted to know what my intentions are with you."

"And what did you say?"

"I told her that I didn't plan on hurting you, if that's what she was worried about."

Caroline smiled and grabbed the sides of his jacket, pulling him closer. "That's good to hear," she said, reaching up to lightly press her lips to his.

He kissed her for a moment, trying to memorize the taste of her lips before she pulled away, because he would never have the chance to kiss her again after this.

"That's not why I asked you to come here."

"Then what is it?"

"You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful and radiant woman I've ever met."

"But?" The worry was back.

"But the timing isn't right."

Caroline was silent for a moment as she processed what he just said. "What are you trying to say?"

"You are the most important person to me, and I can't be the one to ruin your future should anyone find out about us."

"So you're what? Breaking up with me?"

"It's the best thing for you."

Caroline's worry quickly turned into anger. "That's not your decision to make. How about _I_ decide what's best for me?"

"Perhaps you don't know what's best for you."

Caroline backed away from him, trying her hardest not to let any tears spill. "You told me you weren't going to back out. You gave me your _word_."

Klaus kept his expression even, not letting any emotion slip. "It's the right thing to do."

"_Then don't do the right thing!_" Unfortunately, she wasn't as good as he was at hiding her emotions. She tried wiping away the few tears that escaped, but then they began streaming down her face far too quickly for her to do anything about it.

He took a step toward her. "Sweetheart—"

She took a step back from him. "No. Don't you dare call me that." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I should just go." She turned around to leave, but Klaus called after her.

"Caroline..."

She slammed the door and headed for the front door, slamming that one too. She knew he wasn't going to run after her, but she wished he did. She liked to think that if he chased after her, she would tell him to go to hell and keep walking away. But deep down she knew that she hoped he would come after her and tell her he was wrong about the whole thing, and then she could forgive him and they could be together and pretend this whole thing never happened. It was just a bump in the road; a moment of uncertainty. It was nothing.

But of course that wouldn't happen. This wasn't some cheesy romantic movie.

Tears ran freely down Caroline's face as she drove away. All she wanted was to be with her friends and eat popcorn and watch movies with them to take her mind off of things, but Elena's chat with Klaus was the reason why this happened in the first place.

It wasn't Elena's fault. She was only trying to help, but right now Caroline just needed to be angry. She was angry with Elena, she was angry with Klaus, she was angry with everybody...

None of this was fair! Things were going perfectly! Why did everything suddenly go to hell for her?

She thanked everything holy that her mom wasn't home, so she wouldn't have to explain where she had been or why she was crying.

Caroline planned on just going to bed. She hoped that maybe she would wake up and realize that all of it had just been a bad dream. But before she could even bring herself to walk up the stairs towards her room, there was a knock at her door.

Her heart sputtered. Maybe her dumb romantic fantasy would happen after all. Maybe he _was_ going to chase after her and tell her that he made a mistake and that he had no right to make decisions for her. Maybe everything would be okay again.

She opened the door, expecting to see Klaus standing on the other side, but instead saw—

"Rebekah?"

"I heard you fighting with Nik," she said, stepping around Caroline and walking into the house. She took in Caroline's tear-stained face and her eyes softened. "You looked like you needed a friend, so I left right after you did."

"I thought you weren't talking to me."

"I can't stay mad at you forever. Also, it was boring not being your friend." Rebekah smiled, causing Caroline to smile in return.

Caroline's smile didn't last long, however, before the night's events caught up to her again and she began to break down. But this time, she had someone there for her. Rebekah pulled her in for a hug, and Caroline was grateful to have her friend back.

-xxx-

Klaus sat in one of the armchairs in the living room, a glass of bourbon in his hand. He had tried to distract himself by drawing in his sketchbook, but everything he drew turned into Caroline. He figured that alcohol was the best way get his mind off things, and it proved to be working so far. He felt completely numb.

"I see you aren't handling the break up very well."

Klaus glanced up to see Elijah leaning against the wall, his mouth turned down into a disapproving frown.

"On the contrary, Elijah, I'm coping just fine."

"I'm concerned about your wellbeing."

"And why would that be, brother?" Klaus asked, rolling his eyes.

Elijah walked forward and placed the sketchbook on the table in front of him. "I found this."

"It's not polite to snoop, Elijah."

"You left it open."

Klaus sighed. He leaned forward and set his drink down, giving Elijah his full attention.

"Perhaps you should move on with someone new."

"Oh, really?" Klaus responded, his tone bored. "And who might that be?"

"There's someone I work with. She a fantastic woman, and she's an appropriate age for you. I think you should meet her."

Klaus chuckled without humor. "Only if it appeases you, Elijah." He had no interest in anyone but Caroline, but if it got his brother off his back, then why the hell not.

"Her name is Tatia."

-xxx-

**A/N: Well, I suck. I just came back from a huge writing hiatus only to give you guys angst. Sorry! Forgive me?**

**Again, I am _so_ sorry about the long wait for this chapter. I want to make it up to you guys by getting another chapter up super quick! Thank you so much for your patience, and if you're still sticking with this story, then you deserve a medal for being the best person on the planet and putting up with my horrible updating schedule. I love you!**

**By the way, Skaiya McFee was so wonderful and added this story to her community of Klaroline fics! Check it out here: community/The-Beauty-and-the-Beast/107019/**

**Even though I don't deserve it, leaving a review would make my day and it would be the best motivation! It takes a second, but it means a lot :)**

**-Morgan**

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	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Hi there! I'm back with a quick(ish) update to make up for the impromptu hiatus I went on. (I'm still really sorry about that.) Thank you so much for all the reviews! I read and fangirled over every single one! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me some feedback. It means so much.**

**Also, I know some of you aren't the least bit thrilled about the whole Tatia thing and think of it as "pointless angst", and I get that, I really do. But it isn't pointless. I wouldn't just throw something random like that in there unless it was important to the story and for Klaroline's still-developing relatonship. Some of you were also worried about Klaus actually being into Tatia, but worry. I won't say anything else because I don't want to spoil the entire chapter for you guys, but I think you'll find that this whole mess isn't as bad as you think :)**

-xxx-

Caroline dreamt of Klaus that night. She was walking through the forest, and she could see him in the distance. He stood several yards in front of her, looking in her general direction but not even sparing her a glance.

She called out his name, trying to get his attention, and she began to walk towards him. However, with each step she took, it didn't close the space between them; it made the gap wider. She began to panic. The closer she tried to get, the farther away she got. She was calling for him and running towards him, but he didn't even notice.

"Caroline?" she heard someone say.

_Yes, it's me._

"Caroline."

_I'm right here._

"Caroline!" the person yelled.

Caroline jolted awake. "Ah!" she screamed, nearly rolling off the bed as she saw Rebekah looming over her. "What are you doing here?! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"We have a problem," Rebekah answered.

Caroline tried to rub the sleepiness out of her eyes. "What do you mean? What kind of problem?"

"It's Nik."

"Ugh. You woke me up for _that?_" She rolled her eyes and turned over in her bed, facing away from Rebekah. "I'm going back to sleep."

"Elijah's trying to set him up with some wench that works with him."

Caroline groaned and pulled her covers of her head. "He's moved on _already?_" she asked, her voice muffled by her sheets.

"Of course not. He hasn't been sober since you two broke up."

"Then why is he doing this?"

Rebekah shrugged. "Maybe he's bored, or he's trying to placate Elijah. Nik's motives for doing what he does are a mystery even to me. But it doesn't matter. The point is, we have to come up with a plan to make him jealous."

Caroline sighed and pulled her covers off of her head. "I don't think jealousy will work. He's made it pretty clear that he doesn't want to be with me."

"He wants more than anything to be with you, but he's a stubborn arse who made a stupid decision in the name of protecting you. Now you just have to get out of bed and show him what he's missing."

Caroline hesitated. "So what's your plan?"

"It involves a romantic comedy playing at the cinema in an hour and the most relentlessly annoying of all my brothers."

-xxx-

Bonnie had just settled down with one of her favorite books and was about to start reading when her phone began to ring, the name _Caroline_ popping up on the screen.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Bonnie, I need to borrow your boyfriend," Caroline said, getting straight to the point. She didn't have time to beat around the bush.

"For what?" Bonnie replied hesitantly.

"A date. Well, a fake date."

"What happened to Klaus?"

"He has his own date."

Bonnie was quiet for a moment, putting two and two together. "Wait, did you two break up? Care, I'm so sorry. When did this happen?"

"Last night. He says 'the timing's not right' and he doesn't want to 'ruin my future.'"

"So you're trying to make him jealous with Kol?"

"If that's okay."

Bonnie chuckled. "Go for it. Make him rue the day he ever decided to leave Caroline Forbes."

Caroline smiled. "Thanks, Bon. I owe you one."

-xxx-

If Caroline was going to go through with this whole jealousy thing, she was going to give it one hundred and ten percent. That meant dressing for the part with a short skirt and a low-cut top, and spending more time than usual perfecting her golden curls with her trusty curling iron.

She knocked on the Mikaelson's front door, wearing a bright smile as she thought about the look on Klaus's face when he would see her.

"Caroline," he answered the door in surprise.

Caroline didn't miss the way his gaze swept appreciatively over her body, lingering on her legs for a little longer than was appropriate.

"Mr. Mikaelson," she greeted him, her smile still intact.

Klaus lowered his voice and leaned towards her slightly. "You shouldn't be here."

Caroline scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I'm not here for you."

"Caroline!" came someone's voice from behind Klaus. Kol stepped around his brother and stood with Caroline on the porch, giving her a once-over. "You look lovely."

Klaus's eyes flicked between the two of them, his confusion evident. Kol seemed to notice, and he smirked at his brother.

"Did I forget to mention? Caroline and I were going to see a movie today too. Actually, it might even be the same one Tatia is dragging you to."

Klaus gave his brother a sour smile. "What a coincidence," he said unenthusiastically.

"Perhaps we should carpool," Kol teased, but Klaus didn't laugh.

He began heading for his car, but before Caroline had the chance to follow after him, Klaus grabbed her by the arm.

"What are you playing at, sweetheart?"

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked sweetly, pulling her arm from his grasp.

"If you're trying to make me jealous, it won't work."

_We'll see_, Caroline thought, but she only said, "Then it's a good thing I'm not trying to make you jealous."

-xxx-

Mystic Falls only had one cinema in the whole town, and it was nearly always empty, so Tatia and Klaus could stay as far away from Caroline and Kol as possible. However, the room was also very small, so sitting far away from each other wasn't really an option anyway.

Klaus watched his brother and Caroline closely, not once taking his eyes off of them, even to watch what was happening on the screen. Not that he cared at all about the idiotic movie that this Tatia woman had dragged him to.

"I'm glad Elijah introduced us. He's such a good man and one of my very best friends."

"That's odd, because he never talks about you," Klaus answered, his eyes still on Caroline.

Tatia shifted uncomfortably in her seat, rustling the bag of popcorn in her lap as she did so. "Did you want any of my popcorn?" she asked.

"No, and perhaps if you stopped chewing it so loudly I might be able to hear the movie."

She stopped talking after that.

About an hour into the film, Kol leaned over to Caroline and whispered, "This is boring."

"It hasn't even gotten to the good part," she said.

"Not the movie," he corrected. "Aren't we supposed to be making my brother jealous? We're only sitting here."

"What else is there to do?"

"I don't know. This is _your_ plan."

"It's _your sister's_ plan."

"And what exactly did Bekah plan to happen once we were here?"

Caroline thought for a moment. "She didn't say."

"Then text her."

"We're in the middle of a movie. Didn't you watch the one thousand ads telling us to turn off our phones?"

Kol laughed. "You listen to those?"

He began laughing again, and Caroline couldn't help but laugh with him.

Klaus was two rows behind them, his hands balling into fists and his teeth clenching as he watched Caroline and his brother laughing together. He knew that there was no way she could've moved on that quickly, but he didn't care. She was having a good time and was on a date with someone who wasn't him. Not only that, but the person she _was_ with was his own brother.

Tatia leaned over and whispered, "Are you alright?"

Caroline chose that moment to turn around ever so slightly and steal a glance at him. If he hadn't been paying close attention, he would've missed it. She quickly turned back towards the screen, but she knew he had caught her looking.

"I don't think it's working," Caroline mumbled to Kol.

Kol snuck a glimpse at his brother behind him, doing a much better job at making it look inconspicuous than Caroline had. "What are you talking about? He looks miserable."

Caroline's eyebrows were knit in worry. "Are you sure?"

He rolled his eyes. "Believe me, Caroline. It's working."

She still wasn't sure. "Kol, I am so sorry."

Kol narrowed his eyes. "For wh—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Caroline took his face in both hands and kissed him. His initial reaction was to push away from her, but that wouldn't be sticking to the plan. He had to act natural, so he went along with it, but it only lasted for a few seconds before Caroline pulled away, a frown on her face.

Kol was about to open his mouth to speak, but Caroline cut him off. "I'm going to get a refill," she whispered, grabbing her drink and standing up. She headed for the exit, scolding herself internally as she walked out of the theater and into the lobby.

What the hell was she thinking? Kissing Kol was way out of line, but in that moment all she could care about was making Klaus jealous, even if that meant locking lips with his brother. She was hurt, and right now it felt like the only thing that could ease her pain was hurting Klaus the way he had hurt her.

Back in the theater, Tatia wouldn't shut up, and it was starting to give Klaus a headache. What kind of person tries to carry on a conversation in the middle of a movie anyway? As if he weren't suffering enough what with the little stunt Caroline just pulled.

"Is your brother's date okay? Where did she go?"

"I'm sure she's fine."

"She looked upset about something. Maybe we should go check on her just in case."

"That's not our responsibility. She came here with Kol. If there is a problem, then _he _is the one who should take care of it."

Tatia seemed to accept that answer. She sighed and leaned back in her seat. Once Klaus felt her trying to lean her head on his shoulder, he quickly stood up and began to leave.

"On second thought, maybe I will check on Caroline."

Caroline had just gotten her drink refilled and was heading back to the theater when she saw Klaus walking towards her, his expression annoyed. For a split second she felt guilty, but then she remembered that she had nothing to feel guilty for. They weren't together anymore. She was allowed to do whatever she wanted with whomever she wanted.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Klaus asked her, his voice low.

Caroline quickly glanced behind her to make sure no one was listening. "Are you sure you want to have this conversation here?"

He grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her aside so no one in the lobby could see them.

"What game are you playing?"

She kept her chin held high. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't mistake me for a fool, Caroline. I know what you're trying to do."

"Well if you have it all figured out, why are you asking me?"

He only glared at her.

"You're the one who broke up with me, remember? That was your choice, not mine. And you want me to move on, right? Well, I am. Maybe you should try moving on too."

She walked away before he had the chance to say anything else. Not that he would have anyway; there was nothing else to say.

-xxx-

**A/N: Jealous!Klaus is my guilty pleasure, so writing him in this chapter was a lot of fun! Also, I hope you guys can see now why Tatia was added in there. She was necessary for Klaus to realize that he _can't_ move on. Not only that, but he just doesn't _want_ to because there's no one else who comes even remotely close to Caroline, and anyone who tries just annoys him. I hope that makes sense :)**

**I'm getting really excited about the upcoming chapters because they have some of the biggest developments for Klaroline's relationship in this story. I'm not giving anything away, but I will say that something bad happens that makes something good happen that will result in another _very_ good something happening. How's that for vagueness? ;)**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know your thoughts, theories, opinions, and suggestions in a review! Reading what your reviews are the best part of my day and your feedback always motivates me and helps me to improve my writing :) It would be awesome to know what you thought of this chapter!**

**-Morgan**

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	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Hey, guys! If you follow me on Tumblr then you may have known that I was taking a short break from writing due to exams. I'm not finished with testing yet, but in my free time (which is rare these days) I've been able to write. Sorry for the wait, but real life has been crazy and exams come first. I hope those of you who are still reading this enjoy this next chapter!**

**Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed! I'm forever grateful for your feedback! :D**

-xxx-

"This is my fault," Elena said, her voice riddled with guilt. She had taken Caroline to lunch at the Grill as a way of apologizing, and also to help provide a distraction from her friend's messy and complicated love life.

Caroline sighed. "No, it's not. You were trying to be a good friend. I just..."

"Wish I hadn't butted into your relationship?" Elena finished for her.

Caroline smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think this would happen."

"I know."

Before either of them had a chance to say anything else, Bonnie approached them, a stern look on her face. "Hey. Can I sit?" She gestured toward the empty space next to Caroline in the booth.

Caroline slid over to make room. Her heart began to race in her chest when she saw Bonnie's cold expression. She knew why she was here, and she had already prepared an apology speech and everything.

"Bonnie," she began, "I know you probably hate me, and if I were in your position I'd probably hate me too, but before you decide that you never want to be my friend again I want you to know that I'm _so_ sorry for kissing Kol. It didn't mean anything and I didn't think before I did it—I mean, I didn't even _want_ to do it—because it was just supposed to be part of the act. It was wrong and I'm sorry because you were nice enough to let him help me and I took it too far. I was impulsive and stupid. It wasn't even that good. I mean, I'm not saying he's not a good kisser or anything because I'm sure he's fine with you and all, but there weren't like, fireworks. I'm pretty sure it doesn't even qualify as a real kiss because it lasted for two seconds and there were no feelings involved except guilt and regret and—I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

Bonnie nodded, trying to fight the smile that spread across her lips. "Care, it's okay. He and I already talked about it."

"So everything is good with you two?"

"It's perfect."

"And you're not mad at me?"

"I was at first, but I can't stay angry with you. Not with everything you're going through and not after that..." her brow furrowed as she struggled for the right word, "_heartfelt_ speech," she said, chuckling.

Caroline wrapped her arms around her friend and pulled her into a big hug. "Thank you."

Bonnie hugged her back for a second, and when she leaned away the stern look was back. "Don't let it happen again, okay?"

"I promise."

"So, apart from the kiss, how did the date go?" Bonnie asked.

Caroline and Elena exchanged a look. "Not great."

"It was working until she pretty much told him that he should move on," Elena said.

"_Why?_"

"I was hurt!" Caroline responded defensively. "I just wanted it to seem like _I_ had moved on, so I told him that he should too, which I'm pretty sure just screwed everything up."

Bonnie smiled sympathetically. "Maybe it's for the best, Care. Maybe you two just weren't meant to work out."

"But I lov—" Caroline stopped herself from saying what she was about to say, her eyes growing wide with horror. Was she really about to say that out loud?

"You _what?_" Elena exclaimed.

"Were you about to say that you—" Bonnie began to ask, but Caroline cut her off.

"No. No I wasn't because it's not true. I don't...I don't feel that way."

Elena was about to say something else before something by the door of the Grill caught her attention. "Well, this is poor timing."

Both Bonnie and Caroline turned around in their seats to see Klaus walking into the Mystic Grill, heading straight for the bar.

Elena and Bonnie's eyes shifted over to Caroline, gauging her reaction.

The blonde made a point to not give away any emotions, so her expression remained neutral. "I'm going to go home. I have some homework to do. See you Monday."

Bonnie stood up in order to allow Caroline to slide out of the booth and head for the exit, not even sparing a glance at the bar area.

_Nice one, Caroline, _she thought to herself. Had it really gotten to the point where she had to leave the room if he was in it? Was she really that immature? How was she supposed to deal with being in school on Monday if she couldn't even handle being on the opposite side of a restaurant? At least in the Grill she wouldn't have to interact with him.

"Caroline!" she heard someone call from behind her as she walked along the sidewalk.

Speaking of people she didn't want to interact with...

With an obviously fake smile plastered on her face, she turned around to face Tyler. He approached her with a smug expression that made her want to slap him again.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Whoa, what's with the hostility? I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry about the break up. I know that must be hard for you."

"Look, if you're just going to rub it in my face that I couldn't make my relationship work, then do yourself a favor and walk away because I'm really not in the mood to listen to you gloat."

"Touchy subject then?"

"Go away, Tyler." She tried walking away, but as soon as she began to turn around, Tyler grabbed her arm, keeping her in place.

"I don't mean to be a dick, but I sort of figured that it wouldn't work out between you two, so this really isn't a surprise."

Caroline wrenched her arm from his grasp. "Wow. Then I hope I'm not around when you _do_ mean to be a dick."

Tyler's eyes darkened, but just as he was about to open his mouth, someone interrupted him.

"Is there an issue, Mr. Lockwood?" a familiar voice said from behind him. A voice that, despite everything going on right now, Caroline still found comforting.

The smirk was back. "Not at all, Mr. Mikaelson," he said, turning around. "I was just leaving."

"Good," Klaus responded. "Leave."

Tyler rolled his eyes and began heading in the other direction. As soon as he was gone, Klaus's eyes softened and and drifted over to Caroline.

"Are you alright?"

Caroline glared at him. "I could've handled that on my own."

"I know. I wouldn't have stepped in if I hadn't seen him grab you."

She didn't answer.

"So I take it you're alright?"

"Yeah...thanks."

She expected him to walk away, but instead he took a few steps closer to her.

"How are things with Kol?"

Caroline scoffed and rolled her eyes. "He's not my type." It was quiet for a moment, and then she asked, "How are you and Tatia?"

"I haven't spoken to her since our date, and I don't plan on it. Elijah seems much more infatuated with her than I will ever be."

Caroline couldn't help the relief that flooded through her.

"Besides, there's someone else I'd rather be with."

"Then why don't you be with her?" Caroline asked, getting irritated.

"Because I'm fairly certain that she hates me at this point."

"I highly doubt it. She's probably a very forgiving person. If you care for her, then you should just apologize and try again."

"It's much more complicated than that, sweetheart."

"God, Klaus! Why do you have to make things so difficult? I'm telling you exactly what should happen to make this work again and you still don't care enough to try!"

Klaus glanced around to see if anyone was listening in, and then he took her by her hand and led her to the nearest alley where they could talk privately without fear of being overheard.

"You think I don't care?" he asked. "I'm not letting myself be with you _because_ I care!"

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"I don't want to ruin your future!"

"You aren't going to ruin my future! And even if you were, it's _my_ decision whether or not I take that risk, not yours!"

Klaus took a deep breath and lowered his voice. "I want you to have the best life possible, Caroline. And if removing myself from it is what I have to do to make that happen—"

"Stop. Just stop. Only I can decide what's best for me, so if you walk away then it's because that's what _you_ want."

They glared at each other, neither one of them saying anything for a while, when Caroline's cell phone began to ring. With an exasperated sigh, she broke eye contact with Klaus to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Caroline..." her mother said on the other line, her tone somber.

"Mom? What's wrong?" Caroline asked, her voice filled with concern.

"It's your father."

"What happened? Is everything okay?"

"There was an accident, and..."

"What kind of accident? Mom? Please tell me everything is okay."

"I think you should come home."

Caroline shot a worried glance at Klaus, who was watching her with an equally worried expression.

"I'm on my way."

-xxx-

**A/N: So that was a very short chapter, but the next chapter is going to be _really_ long. I've already started writing it, so it'll probably be up way sooner than this one was posted. Sorry again for the wait. This time of the year is always really busy for me what with exams and all, so I hope you guys understand.**

**Also, I'm going to be changing the rating to M for the next chapter, but that's all I'm going to say ;)**

**Reviews are love and your feedback helps me improve my writing! Thank you for reading!  
**

**-Morgan**

**tumblr: sexwithjomo**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Hey, so I'm back with a quick (and long) update! The next chapter will have to wait until I'm done with exams, but luckily that's not too long away. Thank you so much for your reviews and for being so understanding of my busy schedule! I'm eternally grateful for you guys.**

**I hope you like this chapter. It was my favorite one to write!**

-xxx-

Time seemed to stop for Caroline. She was sitting on the couch in her living room while her mother was explaining the situation, but she blocked out all of her surroundings and tuned out Liz's voice after she heard the news. Every cell in her body rejected the possibility that her father was really dead. Maybe if she didn't believe it, then it wouldn't have happened.

Caroline picked up the words "car crash" and "too late," and suddenly everything became too much. Her heart was in her throat and her eyes pricked with tears. This shouldn't be happening. Her biggest problems should be about school and her complicated relationships. Not this.

"Caroline?" Liz asked when she saw her daughter's previously blank expression become frantic.

"I have to go," Caroline choked out, leaving the room quickly and heading toward her bedroom. She wasn't crying. There was no reason to, because she refused to believe anything her mother just told her. She just needed to be alone.

Her phone began to ring beside her on the bed.

_Klaus calling_.

Of course he would call to check on her. She debated whether or not to answer before ultimately deciding against it. If she wanted to talk to someone, it definitely wouldn't be him. They were just fighting an hour ago, for crying out loud.

She didn't want to talk to him, she didn't want to talk to her mom, she didn't want to talk to her friends. Right now all she needed was to be alone.

-xxx-

Caroline spent the next several days in solitude. She would stay in bed all day and stare at the ceiling, not even bothering to go to school. Her mother fussed at her for the first two days, but after that she seemed to realize that there was nothing on this earth that could force her daughter to jump back into her daily life before she was ready.

Caroline's first real experience with death was when her dog died when she was seven. She struggled for days to cope with the loss, but that was just for a pet that she could barely even remember now. Caroline was always able to bounce back from unfortunate situations fairly quickly, but this time felt different.

Her friends had given up trying to call her since she never answered. Her mother had given up trying to talk about it with her since she never responded. At this point she was practically just an empty shell of a person.

This lasted up until her father's funeral. She seemed to be slowly regaining some parts of her former self within those several days of despondency and staring at the ceiling while mulling over the subjectiveness of life and its many meanings.

Caroline stared at herself in the mirror. She looked much healthier and more put-together than she had all week. Her hair, which she had finally curled after days and days of being a mess, fell over her shoulders in loose golden spirals. As she stared at her reflection, Caroline tried perfecting her smile, which she really only attempted halfheartedly.

There was a soft knock at her door, and she whirled around to see her mother standing there, her expression sympathetic.

"Are you almost ready?"

"Yeah," she answered, which was more of a response than she'd given her mother all week.

"You look beautiful," Liz commented.

"Thanks. It's reassuring to know that I'll be the best dressed at my father's funeral," Caroline replied sarcastically.

Liz sighed and took a few steps forward. "I know you and I don't get along all the time and I'm not around as much as I'd like to be, but I'm always here whenever you need me."

Caroline was silent.

"I know how much your father meant to you, even though you didn't get to see him that often—"

"I'm ready to go now."

Liz nodded and backed out of her room. "I'll be in the car."

-xxx-

The funeral was the first time Bonnie and Elena had seen Caroline since the news of her father's passing. They were nervous to see how their friend was doing after not communicating with her for an entire week. They only knew what Liz told them, which was that Caroline was having a hard time but she would get better soon.

When Caroline arrived at the church and saw them, she greeted them with a slight wave and made her way to the front row of pews. There was surprisingly a large amount of people, including parents, teachers, and friends of hers whom she never guessed would know her father. Perhaps they came to support her.

She focused her gaze towards the front of the room, where a sleek black casket and an an easel supporting a large picture of her father was. She was admiring the wreath of roses around the photo when a voice by her ear made her jump.

"Hello, sweetheart."

Caroline didn't turn around to face him, but she knew who it was just by the accent.

"If you're going to ask why I haven't returned your calls, it's because I've been busy." It came out angrier than she expected.

"I wasn't going to ask,"

"Oh," she replied, feeling a little awkward.

"I would ask how you are, but I suppose you're sick of hearing that question."

"Yes," she agreed. "But I'm doing fine."

"You don't have to lie to me, Caroline."

"I'm not."

And it was true. She _was_ doing better. She had isolated herself for so long that just getting out of her house and seeing all these familiar faces made her feel better. She was beginning to feel like a part of society again.

"I suppose you're sick of hearing this too, but if you ever need me...I'm always here."

A small smile tugged at her lips. For some reason, the way he said it was much more comforting than when anyone else did. "Thank you."

-xxx-

The service didn't last long. Several people spoke, including some of her dad's friends and his partner, Steven. She would've volunteered to speak, but she wouldn't have known what to say. Everybody who spoke said it all for her. Her father was a great man who lived a good life and he will be dearly missed. What else did she have to add?

The rest of her day was spent socializing with the guests and thanking them for being there. She would normally enjoy the company of others, but it all felt so contrived.

Caroline was grateful when it was time for everybody to leave. She had had enough of fake smiles and condolences. All she wanted was to go home and sleep off the exhaustion of the day. But when it came time for her to do so, she didn't feel tired at all.

She kept tossing and turning in her bed as she replayed the speeches made at the funeral over and over again in her mind until it became so overwhelming that for the first time in over a week, she actually _wanted_ to talk to somebody. She needed it. And she knew just the person to call.

Silent tears streamed down Caroline's face as she dialed the number she knew by heart. He picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?" he answered, not sounding tired at all despite it being one o'clock in the morning.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I know I shouldn't be calling you, but I don't know who else to call." Her voice broke and her body shook with sobs. "I just don't want to be alone."

Klaus was silent on the other end.

"I'm so sorry," Caroline repeated, thinking she had crossed some line by calling him.

"Don't ever apologize for needing me," Klaus said severely. "I'll be over soon."

Ten minutes later, he was at her house. Her mother was sleeping, so she had to be extra quiet when she opened the front door. His expression was concerned, and it wasn't until they were in her room that she finally broke down and he pulled her into his arms, their fight and their drama over the past few weeks completely forgotten.

It was almost like that night in the car after the football game. He let her cry, not saying anything as she got it out of her system. She clung to him, staining his shirt with tears, but he didn't mind. He just held her close, one hand on her back and the other smoothing her hair.

He didn't like hugging. It was too sentimental for him. But it was what Caroline needed, so he willingly embraced her. It lasted like this for a while. He didn't know how long, but it felt like an eternity. He hated to see her suffer and not be able to do anything except sit there and help her feel less alone.

Somehow they ended up sitting on the edge of the bed, his arms still wrapped around her and her head resting on his shoulder. She began calming down. The tears stopped and her breathing slowed. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes before Caroline spoke.

"I'm sorry," she said.

Klaus let out a strained laugh. "You're apologizing for grieving?"

Caroline chuckled halfheartedly. "I feel like an idiot."

"Why?"

"I spent all this time trying to avoid crying about it that I forgot how good it would feel to just let go. I could've saved myself a lot of pointless suffering."

"It's normal to feel apathetic in the beginning. I went through the same thing when my brother Henrik died."

Caroline shifted on the bed slightly so she could face him. "You had another brother?"

He nodded. "He was the youngest. He was also my favorite, but don't tell the others."

Caroline smiled at that, but then she became serious again. "How did he...you know..."

"Die?" Klaus finished.

Heat flooded her cheeks. "Sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

"It's alright. It was a car crash, much like your father." He watched her face closely to see if he had unintentionally upset her by bringing up her father, but she looked fine, so he kept going. "I was a teenager and he was still a kid. I was driving the car when I got distracted, and..."

Caroline grabbed his hand and held it tightly in both of hers. "It's not your fault. You know that, right?"

"It's entirely my fault, but I've learned to accept it. Death is a natural part of life. At some point you have to resign yourself to the fact that sometimes someone is in your life and sometimes they're not."

Caroline was silent for a few moments, letting that sink in. Then she said, "Thank you. For everything. For being here, for talking to me, for not thinking I was a lunatic earlier when I was crying."

"You're welcome. Although I still think you're a lunatic." He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

For the first time since her father died, she felt like herself again.

-xxx-

The first thing Caroline noticed when she woke up was that she was in her own bed, but she was not alone. A strong arm was wrapped around her waist tightly, and her back was pressed against the person's chest.

Then she remembered. Her dad, the funeral, the phone call, _Klaus_.

She slipped from his grasp as carefully as she could, careful not to disturb him. She turned around and glanced at his sleeping form, biting her lip. Then, she quietly headed for her door, anxious to get something to eat.

"Good morning."

Caroline jumped, startled. "You scared me."

Klaus stood up and took a few steps in her direction while still maintaining his distance. "My apologies, love."

Caroline stared at the floor. "Thanks for being here last night."

He nodded, not saying anything. He kept his eyes on her until she met his gaze.

"I have to know..." she began. "You and I...are we...?" she trailed off, but she knew that he knew what she was asking.

Klaus didn't say anything, and Caroline nodded in understanding, lowering her head.

However, before she could really feel the cold sting of rejection, something inside him seemed to snap and he crossed the room, grabbing her face in his hands and searing his lips to hers in one fluid movement. It took her a moment to recover from her shock, but once she did, Caroline's hands slid up his arms and around his shoulders as her lips began moving with his.

Klaus's kisses were gentle and passionate, and his lips were softer than she remembered. His fingers tangled in her golden curls and held her close. She could feel his warm breath tickle the underside of her jaw as he placed sweet kisses there, and she sighed softly. His lips traveled down the creamy skin of her neck and he felt her nimble fingers toy with the hem of his shirt.

Klaus broke away only for a second to help her by pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it to the side, exposing his muscular chest. He pulled Caroline back into his arms, picking her up and gently placing her on the bed. He hovered over her, connecting his lips to hers while simultaneously slipping his fingers in the band of her pants, tugging at them gently.

Caroline could feel herself becoming undone at his touch. A tidal wave of longing swept over her, and she could feel the desire pooling between her legs.

"Are you sure, sweetheart?" Klaus whispered in her ear, making sure she was okay with what they were about to do.

Instead of answering, she pulled his mouth back down to hers and moved her hips against his impatiently.

He smirked at her impatience as he made quick work of her pants, pulling them off swiftly and tossing them to the side like he had done with his shirt moments earlier. It wasn't until she lifted her own shirt over her head and let it drop to the floor that she remembered she hadn't worn a bra while she was sleeping the night before. He loomed over her, appreciating every inch of her glorious body.

He lowered his head and pressed a kiss in the dip between her breasts. His lips traveled farther south, placing feather light kisses on her chest and stomach. When he finally got to her lower half, she felt as if she were about to explode.

"Shh..." he whispered, sensing her impatience.

She could feel his lips on the inside of her thigh as he made his way to her center. His tongue moved deliciously against her smooth skin, making her head spin and her stomach do flip flops. God, he was driving her crazy!

He very slowly slid her panties down, discarding them with all her other clothes before giving her the pleasure she craved. She clutched her sheets in her hands as she felt him at her core. She gasped, all her nerves standing on end.

All the tension from the months that they had been together and from the weeks they were apart spilled into this moment.

Caroline's heartbeat was erratic with the anticipation of what was still to come; the last barrier to be broken before he was completely hers and she was completely his.

His lips traveled back across her stomach and chest until he reclaimed her mouth with his. She kissed along his shoulder and his arm before flipping them over so that she hovered over him. She placed kisses under his jaw, down his neck, across his chest... She continued to kiss every inch of his body before she moved back up to his mouth. She took his bottom lip between her teeth and pulled on it gently.

Then, with trembling hands, she unzipped his pants—which he was grateful for, considering they had gotten too tight for comfort—and slipped them off.

Now it was Klaus's turn to be impatient. He flipped them over again and slid his hand around her thigh, hitching it around his waist, his fingers pressed deliciously into her creamy skin. He gazed at her intensely, his stormy blue eyes burning into hers with more passion and desire than he had ever shown before. It was a look that seemed to be only reserved for her and for this moment.

Caroline could feel the aching in her core spread to her toes and the tips of her fingers.

His lips dropped to her neck and their bodies finally became one. Her back arched and she gasped softly when she felt him inside of her.

It was as though everything they've been through, their whole journey, had led to these moments of pure bliss. All the hardships and the obstacles they had to overcome felt worth it. As long as they were together, they could face anything.

Every time their bodies connected, Caroline felt a surge of emotions. With Klaus, it felt like her first time. She supposed it _should_ feel that way with someone special. It wasn't just friction; it was love. As romantic a notion as it was, he completed her. He was her missing puzzle piece. Being with him felt _right_.

He pushed into her several more times, his kisses timed with his thrusts. He was so gentle with her, but in a way that was satisfying for both of them. He treated her more delicately than anyone had ever treated her before. He was sensitive to her needs, while at the same time fulfilling his, their bodies moving in perfect harmony.

Klaus relished in the sound of his name on her tongue and the welcoming sting of her nails on his back. As she reached her climax, Caroline cried out, with Klaus toppling over the edge right after. The feeling was earth shattering, and it surged through her body like wildfire.

Once he collapsed on top of her, he rolled over and pulled her tightly to him so that her back was pressed against his bare chest. They were both breathing heavily, their hearts still racing.

Caroline intertwined her fingers with his and snuggled up against him. "Klaus?"

"Mm?" he mumbled, his lips at the back of her neck, placing gentle kisses there.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I love you."

She tensed, waiting for his response. He was silent for so long that she had to turn around and make sure he hadn't fallen asleep. He watched her closely, his eyes unreadable.

"I love you too," he finally admitted.

Caroline didn't even realize that she had been holding her breath until she released it. She broke into a wide smile and kissed him lightly one more time, her lips lingering on his for a moment before she pulled away. She gently bit her bottom lip and stared up at him through her eyelashes.

Looking at him, being with him, feeling his touch... Everything finally felt right in the world again.

-xxx-

They spent the entire morning in bed, talking about everything and nothing. None of Caroline's previous boyfriends were able to carry on a conversation for this long, nor were they able to lay next to her in bed for this long without trying to take advantage of it.

For some reason, the word "boyfriend" didn't quite fit Klaus. It was too simple a word that was too empty of meaning for her to use. She could say he was the "love of her life," but their relationship went deeper than titles. All she knew was that he was _hers._ All hers. And she was his.

Liz had already left for work before they had even woken up, so they could go downstairs without the fear of being discovered. Caroline was starving, and rather than leaving for a few minutes to pick something up at the Grill, she opted to make lunch for them.

"You know how to cook?" he asked.

"I can make soup!" she responded enthusiastically. "But just to warn you, I can sometimes over-salt it."

She pulled out all the ingredients she needed, which included tomatoes and some various vegetables. Just as she began slicing the tomatoes, she felt him behind her, his hands at her waist and his lips traveling down the side of her neck.

"Stop distracting me," she laughed, but he continued to kiss her.

Eventually she gave up trying to make lunch and turned around to face him, giving him her full attention. She locked her lips with his and in one movement, he pushed away everything on the counter so he could lift her up and place her there. She smiled against his lips and wrapped her legs around his midsection.

"I should really make lunch," she mumbled in between kisses.

"We can have lunch later," he insisted.

"Then we should probably move this back upstairs."

"As you wish," he agreed, and then did as he was told.

-xxx-

"You're back together?!" Bonnie exclaimed over the phone. "When did this happen?"

It was the first time Caroline had spoken to her friends since the funeral, and even then they didn't really speak. She first called Bonnie, who put the phone on speaker since Elena happened to be with her.

"It technically happened today," she said, blushing as she remembered this morning, "but he came over last night when I called him."

"And everything is working out now?" Elena chimed in, her tone hopeful.

"Everything is great, actually, which hasn't been the case in a long time."

"Is he still at your house?" Bonnie asked.

"He left around an hour ago before my mom came home from work."

"We should go the Grill and celebrate over dinner," Elena suggested.

"That sounds perfect. I need to get out of the house and actually socialize with people," Caroline said.

Seeing her friends was just what she needed. She wouldn't ever fully be over her dad, but after her talk with Klaus and her interaction with her friends, she knew that she was getting there. And for once, things were finally starting to look up for her.

-xxx-

**A/N: Okay, so, I tried to make the smut really light, but I might've gotten slightly carried away. You be the judge :) I really hope you enjoyed this chapter even though I wrote it really quickly in between studying and exams and moving into a new house and all the craziness in my life right now!**

**I'd also like to apologize for my embarrassing attempt at writing a love scene. I know a lot of you asked for it so I hope I delivered, but if I didn't then I'm sorry! I've always been better at writing fluff than smut. I will make it up to you with a virtual hug. *hug***

**Don't forget to leave a review telling me what you thought about this chapter! Your feedback keeps me going and makes writing this worthwhile :) I love hearing your thoughts, opinions, and/or suggestions. Thanks for reading!  
**

**-Morgan**

**tumblr: sexwithjomo**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Hey, everyone! Good news; my exams are over, so I can finally breathe. Although I'm still in the process of moving and since my old house is on the market, I sometimes have to leave the house for a few hours or so which means I'll be having to write this in Starbucks or some other place. Writing in public places is _terrifying_ and even though no one really cares what you're doing it still feels like people are looking over your shoulder and ugh I'm just so paranoid! But I'm doing it anyway because this story is reaching its conclusion and I want to go ahead and get these next few chapters done for you guys :) Thank you for being so patient!**

**Also, thank you _so_ much for your reviews on the last chapter! I was super nervous about it but your reviews were so encouraging and it meant so much to me. Seriously, thank you.**

**I'll stop rambling now :) Happy reading!**

-xxx-

He loved her. That much was simple. He loved the way her blue eyes would light up when she saw him. He loved the way she would twirl her hair and tap her foot impatiently when she was bored in class—which, despite his best efforts to make the class interesting, happened a lot. He loved the little smirk that tugged at her pink lips when he caught her eye in the middle of a lesson; a secret smile that was reserved just for him. He never realized how empty his life used to be until she became a part of it.

So when she appeared on his doorstep one morning before school, the light in her eyes replaced with anger and a burning determination, he knew that something was wrong. And whatever or whoever was troubling her would suffer.

"Caroline?" he asked, a bit surprised when he saw her standing there.

"How many minutes until we have to be at the school?"

He quickly glanced at his watch. "Fifteen minutes. Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she answered, crossing the threshold, grabbing his hand, and hurrying in the direction of his room. "Nothing's wrong."

She shut the door behind them and grabbed the lapels of his jacket, him closer and crushing her lips to his. Although stunned at her behavior, he returned the kiss with equal fervor, holding onto her waist as he felt both of her hands running through his hair.

"What is this about, sweetheart?" he asked as soon as he was given a chance to breathe.

"I just... I need to not think." She leaned forward to kiss him again, but he placed his hands on her shoulders to prevent her from doing so. He searched her eyes for some sort of indication as to what was going on, finding only the anger and determination that he saw in her expression earlier.

"Tell me what's going on."

She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You're angry," he observed.

"Yeah, I'm angry," she confirmed, a cutting edge to her tone.

"About what?"

"Tyler came over this morning."

Klaus's eyes grew dark, his expression hardening. "What did he want?"

With another sigh, Caroline recounted Tyler's visit.

-xxx-

Earlier that morning, when Caroline was just leaving the house, she was met with an unwelcome surprise waiting for her on her porch. There, glaring at her, Tyler stood with his arms crossed over his chest, looking like a child who didn't get his way.

"I know you're back together with Klaus," he said, his petulance evident in his tone.

Caroline's heartbeat sputtered. "Look, if you're here to blackmail me again—"

"That's not what I'm here for."

She relaxed slightly. "Okay...good. What _are_ you here for?"

"I'm here to take back what's mine." He took a few steps forward and Caroline stepped backward, her back hitting the door. "I don't know what you see in him. What did I do to make you leave me for him?"

"Is that what all of this was about? You were jealous?"

Tyler chuckled as if that were the most absurd thing he'd ever heard. "Jealous? Of Klaus?"

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you that when we broke up, it wasn't because of you, it was because of me."

"Oh, come on, Care. Do you really think I'm dumb enough to fall for that lame ass line?" He was inches from her now.

Caroline flinched away from his proximity. "Go away or I'll call Klaus."

"What's he gonna do, Care? Fight me? Do you really think he'd risk it when I can make him lose his job the second he lays a hand on me?"

"_Go away_," she repeated, more forcefully this time. She understood that their break up had hurt him and he was lashing out, but acting like a complete dick was not the way to handle it.

Tyler's eyes softened slightly. "Fine."

He backed away and sauntered back towards his car parked on the street.

-xxx-

"It's not a big deal," Caroline sighed as she told Klaus about the incident. She just got angry and went to see Klaus in order to blow off steam.

She hadn't realized how dark his expression had gotten until she finally looked up at him and saw his features clouded with anger. "Klaus?" she asked, worried.

"I warned him not to go near you," he practically growled.

He had his I-feel-murderous-and-I'm-about-to-do-something-rec kless-and-possibly-even-illegal look on his face, so Caroline quickly tried to calm him down before he could do anything rash. "It's okay, he didn't hurt me. There's no reason to freak out over this."

Ignoring her protests, he swung his door open and stormed out of the house, determined to end this once and for all. Caroline trailed after him, trying to stop him, but he didn't pay any attention to her. He had to get to the school as soon as possible.

-xxx-

Caroline gave up on attempting to stop him once they got to the school and waited outside the locker room as Klaus burst into Coach Tanner's office.

Coach Tanner glanced up at him from the newspaper he was reading, surprised and a bit annoyed. "Mr. Mikaelson," he greeted. "Can I help you?"

"I just stopped by to inform you that one of your players, Tyler Lockwood, has been caught cheating in my classroom. I understand that this means he is no longer allowed to play for the football team, am I correct?"

Coach Tanner put down the newspaper. "Well, yeah, I'm required to kick him off the team, according to school code. We have a zero tolerance policy for cheating." He paused. "May I ask, Mr. Mikaelson, do you have proof to support this claim?"

"An answer key was stolen from my classroom and I have several witnesses claiming that Mr. Lockwood was the culprit," he answered without hesitation.

Coach Tanner nodded. "Then I suppose I'll have to make a few calls then. Thank you, Mr. Mikaelson."

Klaus nodded and then turned around to leave. He found Caroline waiting for him outside in the hallway, biting her lip nervously.

"What did you say?" she asked, worry clouding her voice.

"I told him about Tyler cheating."

Caroline's eyes widened and she gasped. "But that will get him kicked off the team!"

"That was the idea, love."

"But the whole reason he blackmailed me in the first place was so he could keep his spot! Now what's stopping him from telling _everyone_ about us?" She glanced around to see if anyone had heard her, but it was still early enough that the hallways were empty.

He took her face in his hands. "Caroline, sweetheart, I need you to trust me on this."

"You could lose your job, and it would be my fault—"

"Caroline," he tried again. "I know what I'm doing."

His eyes were sincere, and although she was still worried, she nodded and allowed herself to trust him.

-xxx-

For the next few hours, Caroline was on the edge of her seat, fidgeting and biting her nails nervously. When she refused to eat at lunch, Elena and Bonnie began to worry too.

"Care, nothing's going to happen," Elena tried reassuring her. "He probably won't even know who tipped off the coach about the cheating thing."

Caroline shot her a glare and continued to tap her fingers on the table impatiently. "Of course he'll know, Elena. Who else _could_ it be?" She sighed, frustrated. "And you know, the worst part is, Klaus doesn't seem fazed by this at all! He thinks I'm overreacting, which is ridiculous because he's _under-_reacting!"

Bonnie exchanged a glance with Elena and then reached across the table to place her hand on top of Caroline's, stopping her incessant tapping. "There's nothing you can do about it now, so just try to relax and let the chips fall where they may."

"But I _can't_ relax!" she argued.

It was then that she caught sight of Tyler across the school's front lawn, his back facing her. She couldn't see who he was talking to but she had a pretty good guess. Her heart dropped to her stomach and her breath caught. Her friends noticed her reaction and turned around to see what she was seeing.

The person Tyler was speaking with patted his shoulder twice and stepped around him, heading in Caroline's direction. Quickly, she began to pack up her things as if to make a break for it.

"Caroline, no," Elena told her.

As soon as Caroline was about to open her mouth to argue, the principal reached their table, a grim look on his face. She had never talked to him before. She'd only seen him in the hallways on occasion, and even that was rare. He usually spent all his time in his office, not interacting with students or staff unless he had reason to.

"Miss Forbes," he said, his voice low and accented, "I need you to come with me."

She shot her friends a pleading look before standing up and following the principal silently into the school, down the hallway, and into his office. She didn't see any sign of Klaus, and she wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

Just as she began to take a seat across from the desk in the room, however, there was a knock at the already open door. She whirled around to see Klaus standing there, his expression unfathomable. He didn't even spare her a glance.

"Niklaus," the principal greeted him with a smug smile. "It's been a while."

"Yes, it has." Klaus took a few steps into the room, placing one hand on the back of the chair Caroline was sitting in. "Hello, father."

-xxx-

**A/N: *cue dramatic music***

**So I'm sure you guys have a lot of questions, but they will all be answered in the next chapter! Make sure to leave a review telling me your thoughts, opinions, suggestions, predictions, etc. They keep me motivated :)**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Morgan**

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	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Thank you guys _so_ much for your awesome reviews! I appreciate every single one of them and I'm so lucky to have such amazing readers :)**

**Also, I'm sorry it took a while for me to get this chapter up. I didn't have my computer for a few days because it needed to be repaired and then I went on vacation so I didn't really have time. It's also pretty short and I'm sorry about that too, but I hope you enjoy this chapter anyway!**

-xxx-

Hello, Father," Klaus said, stepping forward.

Caroline's eyes widened. "_Father?_" she said before she could stop herself. It didn't make any sense. Klaus was Mr. Mikaelson, and _he_ was Mr. Smith.

He didn't look away from his father as he spoke. "I'm an abomination, Mikael, isn't that right? Who would want to share even a surname with their bastard son."

Caroline remembered when Klaus told her about Mikael and how much he hated him. He told her how violent and abusive he was, even before he knew that he was illegitimate. It made sense that Mikael wouldn't want any connection or association with him, given his hatred for him.

As all these things began to click together for Caroline, she felt a rush of unexpected anger. This man had ruined Klaus's childhood, hurt him physically and scarred him emotionally, and he was standing right in front of her. If she weren't already in hot water, she would've loved to give him a piece of her mind.

"Careful, boy," Mikael warned. "Don't make things harder for yourself than they already are."

They glared at each other, causing Caroline to squirm in her seat uncomfortably. _If looks could kill_, she thought.

"What's going on?" she asked, breaking the silence.

Mikael's gaze shifted to her, his expression relaxed, but his mouth set in a grim line. "Your classmate, Mr. Lockwood, has expressed some concern about the nature of your relationship with one of our staff members," he explained, gesturing to Klaus.

"Has he?" Caroline asked, sounding surprised. She decided to go with the play-dumb-and-deny-everything route.

"Tell me, Ms. Forbes, what _is_ going on here exactly?"

Caroline shook her head slightly, confused. "I don't know what you mean."

"Lying won't get you anywhere, Caroline."

"I'm not lying."

Mikael sighed frustratedly and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm going to give you one more chance to tell me the truth. If you're honest with me, your punishment will be less severe."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Her punishment?" he repeated, his eyes dangerous and his tone thick with contempt.

Mikael's gaze cut to him. "Student-teacher relationships are a serious offense. She could be facing expulsion."

"Leave her alone," Klaus demanded. Caroline had never seen him look so menacing—it almost scared her.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Mikael said calmly, despite the furious and intimidating look he was receiving from his son.

There was a beat of silence before Klaus said, without taking his eyes off his father, "Give us a moment, Caroline."

Caroline glanced between the two of them, her expression concerned, before reluctantly backing out of the room and shutting the door quietly behind her. She stood against the door, listening to the incoherent yet audible murmur coming from inside the office. It started off calmly, but then began to escalate feverishly. She could hear the irritation and anger in their voices and knew they were arguing, even though she couldn't hear a word of what they were saying. She had a pretty good guess, however.

The argument died down after a while, and Caroline let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. She leaned away from the door just as it opened, and Klaus walked through, his stormy blue eyes fixed on hers.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked. "What happened?"

His expression didn't give away any emotion. "He's not going to expel you."

"But?" she asked. She knew there was a 'but'.

"Today is my last day working here."

Caroline nodded, unsurprised. She knew something like this would happen, so she had been prepared for it. That didn't help with the disappointment, however.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"Find another job."

"Will you stay in Mystic Falls?"

"Most likely not."

She sucked in a breath and exhaled shakily. "But we'll still be able to see each other?"

"If your mother allows it."

Caroline's stomach dropped. "He told her?"

As if to answer her question, her phone vibrated in her pocket with a message from Liz.

_We need to talk as soon as you get home._

"I assume that's her?" Klaus asked, watching as the color drained from Caroline's face when she read the message.

Before she had a chance to respond, the bell rang, signaling that students should begin heading to their first class.

"We'll talk later," Caroline promised before turning around and heading in the opposite direction.

-xxx-

The rest of the day dragged by slowly as her talk with her mom drew nearer. By the time she got home, she was so filled with dread that she briefly considered running away and living with Elena. At least she wouldn't have to worry about what Aunt Jenna would do should she find out about Klaus and Caroline.

Caroline was about to quietly tiptoe up the stairs and hope that her mom wouldn't hear her, but Liz had been waiting in the living room and listening for her to come home.

"Caroline," she called. "Come here please."

She groaned quietly and headed to where her mother was seated, putting on a fake smile in a last ditch effort to pretend that nothing was wrong. "Hi, Mom."

"I received a call from your principal today—"

Her face fell.

"—and from your expression it seems that you already know what it was about."

"Mom, before you say anything, let me explain."

"I know about you and Mr. Mikaelson. What's left to explain?"

Caroline was silent. How _would_ she explain? There was nothing she could say that would make any of this okay in her mother's eyes.

"I don't want you seeing him anymore. And I don't want you to be around Kol or Rebekah either."

"_Why?!_"

"Because when you say you're going to be out with them, how am I supposed to know you're not just saying that to be with Mr. Mikaelson? I can't trust you anymore, Caroline."

"But—"

"And you're grounded for the entire summer."

Caroline rolled her eyes at that. She wasn't eight years old, she couldn't be 'grounded'.

"This whole thing is completely inappropriate and I'm very disappointed in you, Caroline. And I know this punishment may seem unfair, but I'm just trying to do what's best for you."

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you done trying to be a good mother now?"

Liz clenched her jaw and tried not to let the comment affect her. Caroline had a habit of making remarks like that when she was upset. "Yes."

"Good. I'm going to my room." She stood up and headed for the stairs without looking back.

-xxx-

**A/N: Okay, so, things are drawing to a close in this story and the next chapter is going to be the epilogue. I know things are looking kind of rough right now, but if you're worried, just keep in mind that I _hate_ sad endings :) **

**Also, the reason why Liz and Caroline's relationship in this story is so difficult is because I imagine that it would continue to be this way if Caroline hadn't turned into a vampire, and since she's human in this story, I wrote their relationship like how it was when she was human.  
**

**Also, sorry again for how terribly short this chapter was!**

**Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts, opinions, predictions, suggestions, etc.!**

**-Morgan**

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	20. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Hey, guys! First of all, thank you so much for all your sweet reviews. They mean so much to me and I love hearing your thoughts and opinions :) Also, some of you expressed some concern about wrapping everything up in just one chapter. I completely understand the apprehension there, but I really do think I've wrapped up the loose ends that needed to be tied. Hopefully you like the way this is ending :)  
**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this last chapter! Thanks for reading!**

-xxx-

_1 month later_

It had been a month since Caroline had seen Klaus. She would've called him, but her mother took away her phone. Liz also forbade her from leaving the house except to go to school, which meant that she couldn't visit his house. She had heard from Rebekah that he was looking for another job, but wasn't having any luck. That was about two weeks ago, so she hoped he had found something by then.

All that time spent locked away in her room had allowed for her to write her graduation speech in peace and quiet and without any distractions—the graduation speech that she would be delivering today.

Due to her below-average grades in the first three years of her high school career, there was no chance of her being the valedictorian. However, she _was_ the class president, so she was still required to have a speech prepared. Public speaking didn't normally make her nervous—she was Caroline Forbes for goodness sake—but for some reason the idea of delivering this speech sent butterflies to her stomach.

Caroline was seated on stage next to the salutatorian when she was introduced by Mr. Smith and stood up to take the podium. She smiled brightly at the audience and quickly scanned the crowd. She knew she wouldn't find who she was looking for, but she couldn't help but hope that he had made a special visit to watch her graduate. Regardless of his absence, she still had a speech to deliver. Her smile remained bright on her face as she began to speak.

"I remember the first day of freshman year four years ago, with everyone feeling both excited and anxious as they walked down the halls of Mystic Falls High School for the very first time. It was an exhilarating experience to finally be a high schooler and all of us couldn't wait to get started. Now, all these years later, we can't wait to get out."

There was a chuckle from the audience.

"Well now the time has come. We can throw away our papers and books and set off into the big and intimidating world of adulthood, ready to face all these new obstacles with the knowledge we've attained from these four long years. You're probably thinking, 'Yeah, right. When am I ever going to use the pythagorean theorem or need to know how many protons are in magnesium?' Well, you won't."

The audience laughed again.

"But the things you've learned during your time here are not all completely useless. Throughout the years, we've learned things about the world and about ourselves that we will carry with us through the rest of our lives. There are lessons I've learned that have helped shape who I am as a person today. I learned that failure doesn't happen when you don't succeed; it happens when you stop trying."

She glanced over at Rebekah, Elena, and Bonnie who were seated with the rest of the graduates. "That friendships can be difficult, but it's worth it when you know that you'll always have someone to lean on."

Her gaze shifted to Tyler. "That sometimes things fall apart, but forgiveness will always make you happier than holding a grudge will."

Her eyes drifted over to her mom. "That even though your family may get on your nerves, they will always be there for you, especially through the hardest of times."

Caroline took a deep breath before continuing. "And most importantly, that when you find someone whom you truly love, you'll be able to overcome every challenge that you have to face. And if something is important to you, you shouldn't have to sacrifice it for anyone or anything."

She paused to take another deep breath.

"Some of these lessons we've had to learn the hard way, but each and every one of them is valuable. So as you walk across this stage for the last time, keep these lessons in mind and always remember them as you embark on this new journey through the next stage of your life. Congratulations, Mystic Falls High School Class of 2011. We did it!"

The crowd erupted into applause as Caroline wrapped up her speech and hurried off the stage, heading to where the graduates were beginning to line up alphabetically. Once the applause died down, Mr. Smith stood up and walked over to the podium to begin handing out diplomas.

When Caroline's name was called, she walked across the stage with her head held high, received her diploma and Mr. Smith's congratulations with a tightlipped smile, and headed back to her seat. The ceremony took longer than she expected, or maybe that was because she was so anxious to get out of there. Either way, when the time came to toss her graduation cap in the air, she was grinning like an idiot. After all the blood, sweat, and tears, she was finally done with high school.

Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie were planning on heading over to Bonnie's house with their families where her Grams was making them all a celebratory lunch after the ceremony, but on their way to the parking lot, Caroline was stopped by a familiar British accent coming from behind her.

"Caroline," he said.

Her eyes widened and she slowly turned to face him. "Klaus?" she asked, surprised. Of course she had hoped he would come, but she sure as hell wasn't expecting it. She figured that Mr. Smith would have banned him or that her mother would have done something to prevent it. But neither Mr. Smith nor her mother were in sight. It was just her, Klaus, and her friends who were now quietly excusing themselves to go wait for her in the car.

"You made it," she said, sounding pleased.

"Of course I made it, love. It's your graduation."

She smiled. "It's been a while. How are you?"

"Fine. The high school in the next town over had a teaching position open, and they offered me the job."

"That's great!"

"Rebekah tells me you and her both got accepted to the university in that area."

She nodded. "So did Bonnie and Elena. It's a nice place."

They were quiet for a moment, and then he stepped closer to her, grabbing her hand and placing something in it. "I got you something...to congratulate you."

Caroline looked down at the palm of her hand where a black velvet box with a white ribbon sat. "You didn't have to get me anything," she said.

"I wanted to. Open it."

She pulled the ribbon off and let it fall the the ground as she opened the box to reveal a shining infinity-link bracelet encrusted with diamonds. She held it up and watched it sparkle in the sunlight, completely in awe.

"Oh, my God." she whispered. "It's beautiful." She clasped it around her wrist and examined it some more for a moment before looking up at him. "Thank you."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips lightly to her cheek, lingering there before pulling back an inch to whisper, "Congratulations, Caroline."

Normally they would be more cautious about public displays of affection, but there was no reason to hide it anymore.

"Your speech was lovely."

She blushed and let her eyes drop to the ground.

"Go celebrate with your friends," he told her. "But come see me after. We have some catching up to do."

She nodded. "Thanks again for the bracelet."

"You deserve it, sweetheart."

-xxx-

During the lunchtime celebration at Bonnie's, Caroline couldn't help but feel nervous about going over to Klaus's later. All the worries she had about their future had been put on the back burner during their time apart, but now they were at the forefront of her mind. Would he even still be interested in keeping a relationship with her now that the thrill of secrecy was gone?

She scolded herself for thinking such a stupid thought. Of course he still cared about her. Why else would he have given her an expensive diamond bracelet for her graduation?

Still, she couldn't help the nervousness she felt standing in Klaus's study with just the two of them. They hadn't been alone in over a month. Hell, they hadn't even _seen_ each other in over a month.

"I'm glad you could make it to graduation," Caroline said as she sat on the edge of Klaus's desk, He poured them both some scotch and handed her one of the glasses. She accepted it and took a small sip, grimacing when she felt the burn as it slid down her throat.

"I wouldn't have missed it for anything, sweetheart."

"So now that I'm not a high school student anymore," she began, "does that mean you'll get your old job back?" It was a stretch, but she couldn't help feeling optimistic.

He smiled softly at her hopefulness. "I'm afraid that's not how it works."

She pouted.

"But," he continued, setting down his drink and moving to stand between her legs. It does mean that I''m now allowed to do this." He cupped her face in his hands and covered her mouth with his own. After all their time apart, she expected his lips to feel foreign, but that wasn't the case at all. It felt as though he had never even left.

"And this," he mumbled as his lips trailed across her cheek and jaw.

"And this," he whispered as he moved to kiss under her ear.

"Mm," she hummed, her eyes closed in pleasure. "What else are you allowed to do?"

"Come with me and I'll show you," he promised as he grabbed her hand and led her out of his study and towards his bedroom, which was just down the hall.

He closed the door quietly behind them and placed his hands gently on her waist, leaning forward to capture her lips with his again.

Caroline's heartbeat began to pick up as she pressed her hands against his firm chest. Her body was flush against his, and she felt his hands moving upwards towards the zipper on the back of her dress. He unzipped her slowly while she loosened his tie.

His mouth was soft and gentle against hers—softer than she remembered. His tongue lightly traced her lips, the feeling sending a shiver down her spine.

All her worries about her future and whether or not he would be in it melted away as they undressed and she finally felt his touch after the long month since she'd seen him last. She would worry about it later. For the moment, she would let herself get lost in him and focus on the here and now.

-xxx-

_2 months later_

"Whatever you do, Bonnie, do _not_ go shopping with Elena for furniture without me. I mean, bless your hearts, but you two do not understand the meaning of the word fabulous," Caroline stated into the phone as she walked down the street. "Rebekah and I will take care of the shopping."

"I'm sure the dorm will look amazing once you two are done with it," Bonnie agreed.

"Of course it will!" She grinned. "This is going to be so much fun. Can you believe it? We're college students now! And we'll all be living together and taking some of the same classes... And our dorm building is right across from Kol's..." she said suggestively.

Bonnie laughed. "Klaus's apartment isn't far from here either, you know."

"Oh, believe me, I know." Caroline smiled as she turned a corner and saw her lunch date waiting for her at the little café they liked to meet at during the week. "I have to go, but I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. Bye, Care."

"Bye."

She hung up her phone and smiled at Klaus as she took the seat across from him.

"That was Bonnie," she informed him. "We were talking about rooming arrangements."

"Rebekah won't stop talking about that."

"Well, it's exciting!" Caroline defended. "We have to live in a dorm our freshman year, but after that we were all thinking of getting an apartment together."

The way he shifted uncomfortably in his seat didn't go unnoticed by Caroline.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing." He wasn't making eye contact and even looked slightly embarrassed, which was extremely uncharacteristic of him. "I just wondered if maybe next year you'd want to stay with me. My apartment is plenty big enough for the both of us."

Caroline hesitated. Her mother would never approve... But did that really matter at this point? What was holding her back? She was a fully grown woman now who was capable of making her own decisions, and this was something that she would really consider.

So, deciding to take the leap and finally choosing to do what she wanted to do without fear of the consequences, she agreed. "I'd love to."

He smiled the smile that always reminded her of why she loved him. The smile that can communicate how much he loves her without uttering a word.

Caroline had no regrets about the past year. Things were difficult and she suffered a lot of heartbreak, but it was all worth it in the end. Every single bit of it. She loved him without reservations, and she was happy with the choices that she made. She wouldn't have it any other way.

She knew now what her future would hold. And she knew that he would always be in it.

-xxx-

**A/N: The end! I hope you guys are happy with this ending and I hope you've enjoyed reading this story. I wouldn't have written it if you guys didn't read it, so thank you. Thank you for following, favoriting, and reading. It's been a blast. Thank you for sticking with it even though my updating schedule was horrid. Next time, I'll make sure to update more regularly.**

**Seriously though, thank you so much. You all made writing this worth it!**

**I'm going to go on a bit of a writing hiatus for now, but I promise to write more stories because I have too many plots floating around in my head for them to go to waste :)**

**It would mean the world to me if you could leave one last review and tell me what you thought. What did you like? What could I have done better? What would you have liked to see that you didn't see? What did you see that you _did _like seeing? Let me know your thoughts and opinions!**

**Again, thank you so much. You guys are the best!**

**-Morgan**

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